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EVIDENCE 


SCRIPTURE    AND    HISTORY 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST, 


THE   YEAR    1843; 


EXHIBITED 


IN   A   COURSE    OF    LECTURES 


By  WILLIAM   MfLLER. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED  BY   JOSHUA  V.  HIMES, 
14    Devonshire   Street. 

1842. 


TO     ALL     THEM 

WHO  ARE  LOOKING  FOR  THE  BLESSED  HOPE 

AND    GLORIOUS    APPEARING    OF    THE 

GREAT   GOD,  AND   OUR   SAVIOR 

JESUS  CHRIST  AT  HAND, 

THIS   WORK 

IS   RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 

BY     THE     EDITOR. 


INTRODUCTION 


Iff  presenting  these  Lectures  to  the  public,  the  writer  is  only 
complying  with  the  solicitations  of  some  of  his  friends,  who  have 
requested  that  his  views  on  the  Prophecies  of  Daniel  and  John 
might  be  made  public.  The  reader  is  therefore  requested  to  give 
the  subject  a  careful  and  candid  perusal,  and  compare  every  part 
with  the  standard  of  Divine  Truth ;  for  if  the  explanation  the  writer 
has  given  to  the  scriptures  under  consideration  should  prove  correct, 
the  reader  will  readily  perceive  that  it  concerns  us  all,  and  becomes 
doubly  important  to  us,  because  we  live  on  the  eve  of  one  of  the 
most  important  events  ever  revealed  to  man  by  the  wisdom  of  God 
—  the  judgment  of  the  great  day 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  have  an  understanding  of  my  man- 
ner of  studying  the  Prophecies,  by  which  I  have  come  to  the  fol- 
lowing result,  I  have  thought  proper  to  give  some  of  the  rules  of 
interpretation  which  I  have  adopted  to  understand  prophecy. 

Prophetical  scripture  is  very  much  of  it  communicated  to  us  by 
figures  and  highly  and  richly  adorned  metaphors  5  by  which  I  mean 
that  figures  such  as  beasts,  birds,  air  or  wind,  tvater,jire,  candlesticks, 
lamps,  mountains,  islands,  &c,  are  used  to  represent  things  proph- 
esied of — such  as  kingdoms,  warriors,  principles,  people,  judg- 
ments, churches,  word  of  God,  large  and  smaller  governments.  It  is 
metaphorical  also,  showing  some  peculiar  quality  of  the  thing  proph- 
esied of,  by  the  most  prominent  feature  or  quality  of  the  figure  used, 
as  beasts  —  if  a  lion,  power  and  rule  5  if  a  leopard,  celerity ;  if  a 
bear,  voracious ;  an  ox,  submissive  3  a  man,  proud  and  independent. 
Fire  denotes  justice  and  judgment  in  its  figure  ;  in  the  metaphor, 
denotes  the  purifying  or  consuming  up  the  dross  or  wickedness;  as 
fire  has  a  cleansing  quality,  so  will  the  justice  or  judgments  of  God. 
tL  For  when  thy  judgments  are  in  the  earth,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world  vvill  learn  righteousness."     Therefore  almost  ail  the  figures 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

used  in  prophecy  have  their  literal  and  metaphorical  meaning  j  as 
beasts  denote,  literally,  a  kingdom,  so  metaphorically  good  or  bad, 
as  the  case  may  be,  to  be  understood  by  the  subject  in  connection. 

To  understand  the  literal  meaning  of  figures  used  in  prophecy,  I 
have  pursued  the  following  method:  —  I  find  the  word  "  beast " 
used  in  a  figurative  sense ;  I  take  my  concordance,  trace  the  word, 
and  in  Daniel  vii.  17,  it  is  explained  to  mean  "  kings  or  kingdoms." 
Again,  I  come  across  the  words  "  bird  or  /owl/'  and  in  Isa.  xlvi. 
11,  it  is  used,  meaning  a  conqueror  or  warrior,.— Cyrus.  Also,  in 
Ezekiel  xxxix.  4 — 9,  denotes  armies  or  conquerors.  Again,  the 
words  "  air  or  wind,"  as  used  in  Rev.  ix.  2,  and  16,  17,  to  under- 
stand which  I  turn  to  Eph.  ii.  2,  and  4—14,  and  there  learn  that  it 
is  used  as  a  figure  to  denote  the  theories  of  worldly  men  or  vain 
philosophy.  Again,  "water  or  rivers"  are  used  as  figures  in 
Rev.  xvii.  15,  it  is  explained  to  mean  "people  or  nations." 
"  Rivers  "  of  course  mean  the  nation  or  people  living  on  the  river 
mentioned,  as  in  Rev.  xvi.  12.  "  Fire  "  is  often  used  in  a  figurative 
sense  ;  explained  in  Num.  xxi.  27 — 28,  Deut.  xxxii.  22,  Psal.  lxxviii. 
21,  Heb.  xii.  29,  to  mean  justice  and  judgment. 

As  prophecy  is  a  language  somewhat  different  from  other  parts 
of  Scripture,  owing  to  its  having  been  revealed  in  vision,  and  that 
highly  figurative,  yet  God  in  his  wisdom  has  so  interwoven  the 
several  prophecies,  that  the  events  foretold  are  not  all  told  by  one 
prophet,  and  although  they  lived  and  prophesied  in  different  ages  of 
the  world,  yet  they  tell  us  the  same  things  ;  so  you  take  away  one, 
and  a  link  will  be  wanting.  There  is  a  general  connection  through 
the  whole ;  like  a  well-regulated  community  they  all  move  in  uni- 
son, speaking  the  same  things,  observing  the  same  rules,  so  that  a 
Bible  reader  may  almost  with  propriety  suppose,  let  him  read  in 
what  prophecy  he  may,  that  he  is  reading  the  same  prophet,  the 
same  author.  This  will  appear  evident  to  any  one  who  will  com- 
pare scripture  with  scripture.  For  example,  see  Dan.  xii.  1,  Matt. 
xxiv.  21,  Isa.  xlvii.  8,  Zeph.  ii.  15,  Rev.  xviii.  7.  There  never  was 
a  book  written  that  has  a  better  connection  and  harmony  than  the 
Bible,  and  yet  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  great  store-house  full  of 
all  the  precious  commodities  heart  could  desire,  thrown  in  promis- 
cuously ;  therefore,  the  biblical  student  must  select  and  bring  to- 
gether every  part  of  the  subject  he  wishes  to  investigate,  from  every 
part  of  the  Bible  ;  then  let  every  word  have  its  own  Scripture  mean- 
ing, every  sentence  its  proper  bearing,  and  have  no  contradiction, 
and  your  theory  will  and  must  of  necessity  be  correct.    Truth  is 


INTRODUCTION,  5 

one  undeviating  path,  that  grows  brighter  and  brighter  the  more  it 
is  trodden ;  it  needs  no  plausible  arguments  nor  pompous  dress  to 
make  it  more  bright,  for  the  more  naked  and  simple  the  fact,  the 
stronger  the  truth  appears. 

Let  it  be  noticed  that  God  has  revealed  to  his  prophets  the  same 
events  in  divers  figures  and  at  different  times,  as  he  has  to  Daniel 
in  the  second,  seventh,  and  eighth  chapters  concerning  the  four 
kingdoms;  or  to  Peter,  (see  Acts  x.  16;)  also  Isaiah  and  John. 
Then,  to  get  the  whole  truth,  all  those  visions  or  prophecies  must 
be  concentrated  and  brought  together,  that  have  reference  to  the 
subject  which  we  wish  to  investigate  ;  and  when  combined,  let  every 
word  and  sentence  have  its  proper  bearing  and  force  in  the  grand 
whole,  and  the  theory  or  system,  as  1  have  before  shown,  must  be 
correct.  I  have  likewise  noticed  that  in  those  events,  visions,  and 
prophecies  which  have  had  their  fulfilment,  every  word  and  every 
particular  has  had  an  exact  and  literal  accomplishment,  and  that 
no  two  events  have  ever  happened,  that  I  can  learn,  which  will  ex- 
actly apply  or  fulfil  the  same  prophecy.  Take,  for  instance,  the 
prophecies  concerning  the  birth,  life,  and  crucifixion  of  our  Savior, 
and  in  his  history  we  find  a  literal  fulfilment ;  yet  in  the  birth,  life, 
or  death  of  any  other  individual  it  would  be  in  vain  to  find  a  paral- 
lel. Again,  take  the  prophecies  which  have  been  admitted,  by 
Protestants  at  least,  to  apply  to  Cyrus,  Alexander,  Julius  Caesar, 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  church  of  Rome,  and  I  have  never 
been  able  to  trace  even  a  resemblance  to  the  prophecies  in  question 
in  any  historical  events  except  the  true  ones.  If  this  is  true,  may 
we  not  suppose  that  the  unfulfilled  prophecies  in  their  accomplish- 
ments will  be  equally  as  evident  and  literal  1 

There  are  two  important  points  to  which  all  prophecy  seems  to 
centre,  like  a  cluster  of  grapes  upon  its  stem  —  the  first  and  second 
coming  of  Christ;  the  first  coming  to  proclaim  the  gospel,  set  up 
his  kingdom,  suffer  for  sinners,  and  bring  in  an  everlasting  right- 
eousness. His  second  coming,  to  which  the  ardent  faith  and  pious 
hope  of  the  tried  and  tempted  child  of  God  centres,  is  for  complete 
redemption  from  sin,  for  the  justification  and  glorification  promised 
to  all  those  who  look  for  his  appearing,  the  destruction  of  the  wicked 
and  mystical  Babylon,  the  abomination  of  the  whole  earth. 

His  first  coming  was  as  a  man,  his  human  nature  being  only  visible, 

his  Godhead  known  only  in  his  miracles.     His  second  coming  will 

be  as  God,  his  divine  Godhead  and  power  being  most  visible.     He 

comes  first,  like  the  '''first  man   of  the  earth,  earthv  ;  "  his  second 

1* 


6  INTRODUCTION. 

coming1  is  "  the  Lord  from  heaven."  His  first  coming  was  literally 
according  to  the  prophecies.  And  so  we  may  safely  infer  will  be 
his  second  appearance,  according  to  the  Scriptures.  At  his  advent, 
his  forerunner  was  spoken  of —  "  one  crying  in  the  wilderness  j "  the 
manner  of  his  birth  —  "a  child  born  of  a  virgin ;  "  the  place  where 
—  '*  Bethlehem  of  Judea  ;  "  the  time  of  his  death  —  "  when  seventy 
weeks  should  be  fulfilled  3  "  for  what  he  should  suffer —  "  to  make 
an  end  of  sins,  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in 
everlasting  righteousness,  to  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and 
to  anoint  the  Most  Holy."  The  star  that  appeared,  the  stripes  he 
received,  the  miracles  he  performed,  the  tauntings  of  his  foes  —  all 
were  literally  fulfilled.  Then,  why  not  suppose  that  all  the  prophe- 
cies concerning  his  second  coming  will  be  as  literally  accomplished 
as  the  former  ?  Can  any  man  show  a  single  reason  why  it  will 
not  ?  If  this  be  true,  we  can  obtain  much  light  by  reading  the 
Scriptures.  We  are  there  informed  of  the  manner  of  his  second 
coming  —  "  suddenly,  in  the  clouds,  in  like  manner  as  he  ascend- 
ed ;  V  the  majesty  of  his  coming —  "  on  a  great  white  throne,  with 
power  and  great  glory,  and  all  his  saints  with  him  ;  "  the  object  of 
his  coming  —  "  as  the  Ancient  of  Days,  to  send  his  angels  into  the 
four  winds  of  heaven,  gather  his  elect,  raise  the  righteous  dead, 
change  the  righteous  living,  chain  Satan,  destroy  anti-Christ,  the 
wicked,  and  all  those  who  destroy  the  earth,  judge,  justify  and 
glorify  his  people,  cleanse  his  church,  present  her  to  his  Father,  live 
and  reign  with  her  on  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth,"  the  form  of 
the  old  having  passed  away. 

The  time  when  these  things  shall  take  place  is  also  specified,  by 
some  of  the  prophets,  unto  2300  days,  (meaning  years  ;)  then  shall 
the  sanctuary  be  cleansed,  after  the  anti-Christian  beast  has  reigned 
her  "  time,  times,  and  a  half  5 "  after  the  two  witnesses  have 
prophesied  "  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days,  clothed 
in  sackcloth  3 "  after  the  church  captivity  in  the  wilderness,  "  forty- 
two  months  $  '  after  the  "  gospel  should  be  preached  in  all  the 
world  for  a  witness,  then  shall  the  end  come."  The  signs  of  the 
times  are  also  given,  when  we  may  know,  he  is  near,  even  at  the 
door.  When  theie  are  many  "  lo  here's  and  lo  there's  ; "  when  the 
way  of  truth  is  evil  spoken  of ;  when  many  seducers  are  abroad  in 
the  land ;  when  scoffers  disbelieve  in  his  coming,  and  say, "  Where 
is  the  promise  of  his  coming ;  "  when  the  wise  and  foolish  virgins 
are  called  to  trim  their  lamps,  and  the  voice  of  the  friend  of  the 
bridegroom  is, "  Behold,  he  cometh  j "  when  the  city  of  the  nations 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

is  divided  into  three  parts ;  when  the  power  of  the  holy  people  is 
scattered,  and  the  kings  of  the  east  come  up  to  battle  3  when  there 
is  a  time  of  trouble,  such  as  never  was  before,  and  the  church  in 
her  Laodicean  state  ;  when  the  seventh  seal  opens,  the  seventh  vial 
is  poured  out,  the  last  woe  pronounced  by  the  angel  flying  through 
the  midst  of  heaven,  and  the  seventh  and  last  trumpet  sounds;  — 
then  will  the  mystery  of  God  be  finished,  and  the  door  of  mercy  be 
closed  forever;  then  shall  we  be  brought  to  the  last  point,  his  sec- 
ond coming. 

Again,  prophecy  is  sometimes  typical ;  that  is,  partly  fulfilled  in 
the  type,  but  completely  only  in  the  antitype.  Such  was  the 
prophecy  concerning  Isaac,  partly  fulfilled  in  him,  wholly  so  in 
Christ;  likewise  concerning  Israel,  partly  fulfilled  in  them  as  a  na- 
tion, but  never  fully  accomplished  until  the  final  redemption  of 
spiritual  Israel.  Likewise  the  prophecies  concerning  the  Jewish 
captivity  in  Babylon,  and  their  return,  are  only  partly  accomplished 
in  the  history  of  past  events.  The  description  of  those  things  in 
the  prophets  is  so  august  and  magnificent,  that  if  only  applicable 
to  the  literal  captivity  of  the  Jews  and  their  return,  the  exposition 
would  be  weak  and  barren ;  therefore  I  humbly  believe  that  the 
exact  fulfilment  can  only  be  looked  for  in  the  captivity  of  the  church 
in  the  wilderness,  under  the  anti-Christian  beast,  destruction  of 
mystical  Babylon,  and  glorification  of  the  saints  in  the  New  Jeru- 
salem state. 

There  are  also  in  the  24th  chapter  of  Matthew  many  things  proph- 
esied of,  which  were  not  fulfilled  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem ; 
such  as  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  the  clouds,  the  gathering 
his  elect  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  his  taking  one  and  leaving 
another.  This  shows  a  typical  meaning  in  this  prophecy,  and  that 
it  will  not  all  be  fulfilled  until  the  end  of  the  world.  Also,  the 
transfiguration  of  Christ  on  the  mount,  prophesied  of  by  himself 
eight  days  before,  is  noticed  by  Peter,  2d  Epistle,  i.  16 — 18,  as 
being  a  type  or  figure  of  his  second  coming. 

Who,  that  has  read  the  prophecies  with  any  degree  of  attention, 
will  not  acknowledge  the  great  agreement  between  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophecies  and  the  New  1  Almost  every  prophecy  given 
by  Christ  and  his  apostles  may  be  found,  in  the  Old  Testament 
prophets,  represented  by  figures,  which  were  familiar  to  the  writers 
and  readers  of  those  times.  The  foregoing  rules  are  some  of  the 
principal  ones  which  I  have  observed  in  attempting  to  explain  the 
prophecies  of  Daniel  and  John,  and  to  give  the  time  when  the 


8 


INTRODUCTION. 


mystery  of  God  will  be  finished,  as  I  humbly  believe  it  is  revealed 
to  the  prophets. 

If  I  have  erred  in  my  exposition  of  the  prophecies,  the  time,  being 
so  near  at  hand,  will  soon  expose  my  folly  ;  but  if  I  have  the  truth 
on  the  subjects  treated  on  in  these  pages,  how  important  the  era  in 
which  we  live !  What  vast  and  important  events  must  soon  be 
realized !  and  how  necessary  that  every  individual  be  prepared, 
that  that  day  may  not  come  upon  them  unawares,  while  they  are 
surfeited  with  the  cares  and  riches  of  this  life,  and  the  day  overtake 
them  as  a  thief!  "  But  ye,  brethren,  are  not  in  darkness,  that  that 
day  should  overtake  you  as  a  thief,"  1  Thess.  v.  4.  In  studying 
the?e  prophecies,  I  have  endeavored  to  divest  myself  of  all  pre- 
possessed opinions,  not  warranted  by  the  word  of  God,  and  to 
weigh  Well  all  the  objections  that  might  be  raised  from  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  and  after  fourteen  years'  study  of  the  prophecies  and  other 
parts  of  the  Bible,  I  have  come  to  the  following  conclusions,  and 
do  now  commit  myself  into  the  hands  of  God  as  my  Judge,  in 
giving  publicity  to  the  sentiments  herein  contained,  conscientiously 
desiring  that  this  little  book  may  be  the  means  to  incite  others  to 
study  the  Scriptures,  and  to  see  whether  these  things  be  so,  and  that 
some  minds  may  be  led  to  believe  in  the  word  of  God,  and  find  an 
interest  in  the  offering'  and  sacrifice  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  their 
sins  might  be  forgiven  them  through  the  blood  of  the  atonement, 
"  when  the  refreshing  shall  come  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord, 
and  from  the  glory  of  his  power,"  "  when  he  comes  to  be  admired 
in  all  them  that  believe  in  that  day." 

And  now,  my  dear  readers,  I  beg  of  you  to  lay  aside  prejudice  j 
examine  this  subject  candidly  and  carefully  for  3'ourselves.  Your 
belief  or  unbelief  will  not  affect  the  truth.  If  it  is  so,  whatever  you 
may  think  or  do  will  not  alter  the  revealed  purposes  of  God.  '*  Not 
one  jot  or  tittle  of  his  word  will  fail  5  "  but  you  may,  by  your  obe- 
dience in  the  faith,  secure  you  an  interest  in  the  first  resurrection, 
and  a  glorious  admittance  into  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  an  inher- 
itance among  the  justified  in  glory,  and  you  may  sit  down  with 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  May  this  be 
your  lot  —  is  the  prayer  of  your  servant, 

WE  MILLER. 

Hampton,.  Washington  County,  JV.  Y. 


INDEX. 


Introduction 3 

LECTURE  I. 
The   Second    Appearing   of    Christ.     Titus  ii.  13.  —  Looking  for 
that  blessed  hope,  and  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God,  and  our 
Savior  Jesus  Christ 11 

LECTURE  II. 

The  First  Resurrection.    Rev.  xx.  6.  —  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that 

hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection :  on  such  the  second  death  hath 

no  power — shall  reign  with  him  a  thousand  years 28 

LECTURE  III. 
The   Two    Thousand   Three   Hundred   Days.      Dan.  viii.  13,  14. 
—  And  he  said  unto  me,  Unto  two  thousand  three  hundred  days: 
then  shall  the  sanctuary  be  cleansed 39 

LECTURE  IV. 
Daniel  lx.  24. —  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  people,  and 
upon  thy  holy  city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to  make  an  end 
of  sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in 
everlasting  righteousness,  and  to  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy, 
and  to  anoint  the  Most  Holy .....59 

LECTURE  V. 

Pagan  Rome  numbered.      Rev.  xiii.  18.  —  And  his  number  is  six 

hundred  threescore  and  six , 76 

LECTURE  VI. 

Daniel's  Vision  of  the  Latter  Days  ;  or,  An  Exposition  of  the 

Eleventh  Chapter  of  Daniel.     Dan.  x.  14. —  Now  I  am  come 

to  make  thee  understand  what  shall  befall  thy  people  in  the  latter 

days 86 

LECTURE   VII. 

Daniel's  1260,   1290,  and  1335  Days   explained.     Daniel  xii.  8. — 

And  I  heard,  but  I  understood  not:  then  said  I,  O  my  Lord,  what 

shall  be  the  end  of  these  things? 100 

LECTURE   VIII. 
The  Three  Woe  Trumpets.     Rev.  viii.  13.  —  Woe,  woe,  woe,  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  by  reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the 
trumpet  of  the  three  angels  which  are  yet  to  sound......... 115 


10  INDEX. 

LECTURE  IX.  and  X. 
The  Epistles  to  the  Seven   Churches   of   Asia,  considered  as 
applying   to    Seven   Periods    of    the    Goji  el   Church.     Rev. 
i.  20 127,145 

LECTURE  XI. 
The  New  Song.    Rev.  v.  9.  —  And  they  sung  a  new  song,  saying, 
Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof;  for 
thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God,  &c 161 

LECTURE  XII. 

The  Seven  Seals,  as  representing  Events  to  the  End  of  Time. 
Rev.  v.  5.  —  Behold,  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  hath  prevailed 
to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof. 176 

LECTURE  XIII. 
The   Two  Witnesses,   as   having    been    slain    in    the   French 
Revolution.    Rev.  xi.  3.  —  And  I  will  give  power  unto  my  two 
witnesses,  and  they  shall  prophesy  1260  days,  clothed  in  sack- 
cloth  190 

LECTURE  XIV. 
The  Woman  in  the  Wilderness.    Rev.  xii.  6.  —  And  the  woman 
fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that 
they  should  feed  her  there  1260  days 204 

LECTURE   XV. 

The  Seven  Last  Plagues,  or  Seven  Vials.     Rev.  xvi.  17.  —  And 

the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air ;  and  there  eame  a 

great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  from  the  throne,  saying, 

It  is  done 219 

LECTURE  XVI. 
The  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins.     Matt.  xxv.  1.  —  Thenshallthe 
kingdom  of  heaven  be  likened  unto  ten  virgins,  which  took  their 
lamps,  and  went  forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom 233 

LECTURE  XVII. 

On   the   Punishment    of  the  People   of  God  Seven  Times  for 

their  Sins.    Lev.  xxvi.  23,  24 250 

LECTURE  XVIII. 
Solomon's  Song,  viii.  5.  —  Who  is  this  that  cometh  up  from  the  wil- 
derness, leaning  upon  her  beloved  ? , 264 

LECTURE  XIX. 

Signs  of  the  Present   Times.      Matt.   xxvi.  3. —  But  can  ye   not 

discern  the  signs  of  the  times? 283 


LECTURE    I 


TITUS   n.  13. 


Looking  for  that  blessed  hope,  and    glorious    appearing  of   the 
great  God;  and  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ. 

When  we  take  a  view  of  the  trials,  pains,  afflictions, 
persecutions,  poverty,  and  distress,  which  the  people  of 
God  suffer  in  this  worlds  we  are  almost  led  to  exclaim 
with  the  apostle,  "  If  in  this  life  only  we  have  hope,  we 
are  of  all  men  most  miserable."  But  no ;  we  will  not 
complain ;  for  to  suffer  the  short  period  of  threescore 
years  and  ten,  at  most,  will  only  give  a  greater  zest  to 
the  glory  which  shall  follow  at  the  appearing  of  our 
Lord  and  Savior  the  great  God  and  Jesus  Christ.  1 
knoAv  the  world  are  taunting  us  with  the  inquiry, 
"  Where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming  ?  for,  since  the 
fathers  fell  asleep,  all  things  remain  as  they  were,  even 
from  the  creation  of  the  world ; "  for  they  will  pretend 
to  be  ignorant  (as  the  apostle  Peter  expresses  himself 
of  the  deluge)  that  the  world  that  then  was,  being  over- 
flowed with  water,  perished ;  and  still  more  do  they  pre- 
tend to  be  ignorant,  that  the  same  earth  is  in  like  man- 
ner to  be  destroyed  by  fire,  "  reserved  unto  fire  against 
the  day  of  judgment  and  perdition  of  ungodly  men."  2 
Peter  iii.  7.  Also,  my  brethren,  there  are  some  even 
among  us,  who  "are  spots  in  your  feasts  of  charity, 
feeding  themselves  without  fear ;  clouds  without  water, 
carried  about  of  winds ;  trees  whose  fruit  withereth ; 
twice  dead,  plucked  up  by  the  roots ;  raging  waves  of 
the    sea,  foaming  out  their   own   shame;    wandering" 


12  LECTURE   I. 

stars,  to  whom  is  reserved  the  blackness  of  darkness 
forever.  And  Enoch  also,  the  seventh  from  Adam, 
prophesied  of  these,  saying,  Behold,  the  Lord  cometh 
with  ten  thousand  of  his  saints,  to  execute  judgment 
upon  all ;  and  to  convince  all  that  are  ungodly  among 
them  of  all  their  ungodly  deeds  which  they  have  un- 
godly committed,  and  of  all  their  hard  speeches  which 
they  have  spoken  against  him.  These  are  murmurers, 
complainers,  walking  after  their  own  lusts;  and  their 
mouth  speaking  great  swelling  words,  having  men's 
persons  in  admiration,  because  of  advantage.  But, 
beloved,  remember  ye  the  words  which  were  spoken 
before  of  the  apostles  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  how 
that  they  told  you  there  should  be  mockers  in  the  last 
time,  who  should  walk  after  their  own  ungodly  lusts. 
These  be  they  who  separate  themselves,  sensual,  having 
not  the  Spirit.  But  ye,  beloved,  building  up  yourselves 
on  your  most  holy  faith,  praying  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 
keep  yourselves  in  the  love  of  God,  looking  for  the 
mercy  (or  glorious  appearing)  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
unto  eternal  life."  Jude  12 — 21.  Or,  as  Peter  says, 
2  Pet  iii.  12,  "Looking  for  and  hasting  unto  the  coming 
of  the  day  of  God."  And  again,  Paul  says,  in  Heb. 
ix.  28,  "And  unto  them  that  look  for  him  shall  he 
appear  the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation." 
And  Paul  further  saith,  to  his  Philippian  brethren,  "  For 
our  conversation  is  in  heaven ;  from  whence  also  we 
look  for  the  Savior,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall 
change  our  vile  body,  that  it  may  be  fashioned  like 
unto  his  glorious  body." 

Having  thus  proved  that  the  apostles  directed  our 
hope  to  the  coming  of  Christ  for  the  fulfilment  of  all 
our  trials  and  persecutions,  and  the  completion  of  our 
faith,  1  shall  now  take  up  our  subject  in  the  following 
order:  —  I.  I  shall  endeavor  to  prove  that  it  is  yet 
future ;  viz.,  the  coming  of  Christ,  spoken  of  in  the  text 
II.  The  certainty  of  his  coming.  III.  The  object  of 
his  coming. 

I.  We  are,  according  to  our  design,  to  show  that 
the  appearing  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  spoken  of  in 
the  text,  is  yet  future. 


Christ's  second  coming.  13 

Some  teach  us  that  he  came  at  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  and  quote  to  the  24th  chapter  of  Matthew 
as  proof.  Let  us  examine  their  evidence.  As  Jesus 
went  out  of  the  temple,  his  disciples  came  to  him  for 
to  show  him  the  buildings  of  the  temple,  where  Christ 
delivered  his  memorable  prophecy,  which  was  exactly- 
fulfilled  in  little  more  than  thirty-six  years  afterwards, 
"  There  shall  not  be  left  here  one  stone  upon  another 
that  shall  not  be  thrown  down." 

And  it  appears  that,  afterwards,  as  Jesus  sat  upon  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  the  disciples  came  to  him  privately, 
having-,  as  may  reasonably  be  supposed,  been  rumi- 
nating- in  their  minds,  or  conversing-  among-  themselves, 
on  the  prophecy,  and  had,  perhaps,  supposed  that  no 
power  on  earth  could  destroy  those  strong-  buildings, 
and  concluded  that,  when  this  was  accomplished,  it 
would  be  the  judgment-day.  They  therefore  inquire 
of  him,  "saying,  Tell  us,  when  shall  these  things  be  ?" 
that  is,  what  he  had  prophesied  of;  "and  what  shall 
be  the  sign  of  thy  coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the 
world  ? "  They  might  not  have  intended  to  ask  more 
than  one  question ;  yet  they  did  ask  three,  and  Christ 
answered  them  accordingly.  He  had  before  told  them 
of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  4th,  5th,  and  6th 
verses ;  he  cautions  them  against  being  deceived  with 
false  Christs,  and  not  to  be  troubled  at  wars  and  rumors 
of  wars,  —  and  yet  Jerusalem  was  destroyed  in  the 
first  war  of  any  note  after  this  prophecy,  —  and  then 
says  plainly,  "  The  end  is  not  yet"  Now,  if  this  end 
was  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  then  where  are  those 
wars,  spoken  of  by  Christ?  This  cannot  mean  any 
thing  less  than  the  end  of  the  world.  From  the  7th 
to  the  14th  verse,  inclusive,  he  gives  a  prophetic  history 
of  the  trials,  afflictions,  and  persecutions  of  his  people, 
and  also  of  the  success  of  the  gospel  immediately 
previous  to  the  end,  and  says,  "Then  shall  the  end 
come." 

Now,  it  must  be  evident  that  this  cannot  mean  the 

end  of  Jerusalem,  because,  if  bo,  he  that  endured  unto 

the  end  was  to  be  saved  from  all  the  troubles  which 

Christ  had  been  speaking  of;  and  it  was  not  true  that 

2 


14  LECTURE    I. 

the  disciples  of  Christ  did  not  suffer  afterwards  the 
same  things  which  Christ  said  they  would.  From  the 
15th  to  the  28th  verse,  Christ  instructs  his  disciples 
into  their  duty  during  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  and  also 
down  to  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man.  This,  you 
will  see,  must  mean  Christ  in  person ;  because  neither 
the  Holy  Spirit  nor  Father  is  any  where  called  Son 
of  Man.  He  likewise  speaks  of  the  signs  which  should 
follow  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  From  the  29th 
to  the  35th  verse,  inclusive,  Christ  explains  the  signs 
in  the  heavens  and  on  the  earth  immediately  after  the 
tribulation  of  the  people  of  God,  which  had  been 
spoken  of  as  the  common  lot  of  all  his  followers,  and 
which  he  had  promised  to  shorten  for  the  elect's  sake, 
and  of  his  coming  in  the  clouds  with  power  and  great 
glory  ;  the  gathering  of  his  elect  from  the  four  winds  of 
heaven  ;  gives  his  disciples  the  parable  of  the  fig  tree, 
as  an  illustration  of  the  end ;  and  then  says  to  his  disci- 
ples, "  Verily,  1  say  unto  you,  This  generation  shall  not 
pass  till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled;  heaven  and  earth 
shall  pass  away,  but  my  words  shall  not  pass  away." 

Here  is  the  great  stumbling-Mock  to  many.  Christ 
is  talking  about  his  elect,  his  children,  and  his  gene- 
ration ;  and  not,  as  some  will  have  it,  about  the  genera- 
tions that  then  lived  on  the  earth ;  for  they  did  un- 
doubtedly pass  oft",  a  large  share  of  them ;  for  it  was 
about  thirty-six  years  before  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem. But  his  kingdom  has  never  been  taken  from 
the  earth.  Although  they  have  been  hunted  from  one 
part  of  the  earth  to  another ;  although  they  have  been 
driven  into  caves  and  dens  of  mountains ;  have  been 
slain,  burnt,  sawn  asunder ;  have  wandered  as  pilgrims 
and  strangers  on  the  earth;  —  yet  the  "blood  of  the 
martyrs  has  been  the  seed  of  the  church ; "  and  Christ 
has  had,  and  will  have,  a  people  on  the  earth,  until  his 
second  coming.  1  Peter  ii.  9 :  "  But  ye  are  a  chosen 
generation,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  peculiar 
people,"  &,c.  The  Psalmist  says,  "  A  seed  shall  serve 
him ;  it  shall  be  accounted  to  the  Lord  for  a  genera- 
tion." Psalm  xxii.  30.  I  humbly  believe  that  Christ 
has  quoted  the  sentiment  contained  in  the  102d  Psalm, 


Christ's  second  -coming.  15 

25th  to  last  verse :  "  Of  old  hast  thou  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  earth ;  and  the  heavens  are  the  work  of 
thine  hands.  They  shall  perish,  hut  thou  shalt  endure ; 
yea,  all  of  them  shall  wax  old  like  a  garment ;  as  a 
vesture  shalt  thou  change  them,  and  they  shall  be 
changed ;  but  thou  art  the  same,  and  thy  years  shall 
have  no  end.  The  children  of  thy  servants  shall  con- 
tinue, and  their  seed  shall  be  established  before  thee." 
Here  we  see  the  Psalmist  has  expressed  the  same 
sentiment  that  I  understand  Christ  to  have  given 
in  these  two  verses,  which  I  conclude  is  the  prop- 
er explanation.  And  then  the  parables  which  fol- 
low in  the  remainder  of  the  24th  and  25th  chap- 
ters, are  easily  understood  as  having  reference  to 
the  end  of  the  world ;  and  in  that  way  will  exactly 
compare.  See  the  31st  verse  of  the  25th  chapter: 
"  When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and 
all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  the 
throne  of  his  glory ;  and  before  him  shall  be  gathered 
all  nations,"  &c.  This  verse  was  not  fulfilled  at  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  for  the  "  Son  of  Man "  was 
not  seen  in  the  clouds  with  power  and  great  glory ; 
and  yet  the  words  are,  "  every  eye  shall  see  him  ; "  and 
as  sudden  and  as  visible  "  as  the  lightning,  that  shineth 
from  the  east  even  unto  the  west,  so  shall  the  coming 
of  the  Son  of  Man  be."  Can  this  have  passed,  and  the 
history  of  the  world  have  been  silent  ?  No.  Could  all 
nations  be  gathered  before  him,  and  there  be  divided, 
the  righteous  from  the  wicked,  and  the  one  part  sent  to 
everlasting  punishment,  while  the  other  is  received  to 
life  eternal,  and  none  know  it  ?  No.  Were  the  elect 
gathered  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven  at  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem?  No;  they  were  commanded  to 
tlee  to  the  mountains ;  and  history  says  they  did  leave 
that  devoted  city  when  the  Romans  encompassed  it  with 
their  armies.  Then,  could  the  prophecies  contained  in 
these  chapters  have  been  fulfilled,  and  the  world  remain 
ignorant  of  some  of  the  most  important  events  ?  I 
answer,  No.  Then  the  "  Son  of  Man  "  did  not  come  to 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  If  he  did,  where  is  the 
evidence  ?    None,  none,  not  a  particle.     But  if  he  did 


16  LECTURE    I. 

come  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  then  it  must  have 
been  his  second  coming- ;  for  Paul  says,  Heb.  ix.  28, 
"And  unto  them  that  look  for  him  shall  he  appear  the 
second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation."  Can  this  be 
true  if  he  came  to  Jerusalem ?  The  passage  certainly 
implies  that  his  people  would  have  no  more  sin,  or 
afterwards  would  be  "without  sin."  Experience  teaches 
us  to  the  contrary.  Again  it  is  said,  1  Thes.  iv.  16,  17, 
u  For  the  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with 
a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the 
trump  of  God ;  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  arise  first ; 
then  we,  which  are  alive  and  remain,  shall  be  caught  up 
together  with  them  in  the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in 
the  air ;  and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord."  Who 
saw  this  great  transaction  at  Jerusalem  ?  Were  there 
no  witnesses  ?  Yes,  the  apostle  John  lived  many  years 
after  this,  and  wrote  his  Gospel,  his  Epistles,  and  his 
Revelation,  long  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
And  what  does  he  testify  ?  In  his  Gospel,  14th  chapter, 
3d  verse,  "  And  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I 
will  come  and  receive  you  to  myself,  that  where  I  am 
there  ye  may  be  also."  Again,  28th  and  29th  verses, 
"  Ye  have  heard  how  I  said  unto  you,  I  go  away,  and 
come  again  unto  you.  If  ye  loved  me,  ye  would  re- 
joice, because  I  said,  I  go  unto  the  Father;  for  my 
Father  is  greater  than  I.  And  now  I  have  told  you 
before  it  come  to  pass,  that  when  it  is  come  to  pass,  ye 
might  believe."  Again,  1  John  ii.  28,  "  And  now,  little 
children,  abide  in  him,  that,  when  he  shall  appear,  we 
may  have  confidence,  and  not  be  ashamed  before  him 
at  his  coming."  And  iii.  2,  "  Beloved,  now  are  we  the 
sons  of  God,  and  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall 
be  ;  but  we  know  that  when  he  shall  appear,  we  shall 
be  like  him;  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  And, 
again,  in  Rev.  i.  7,  "  Behold,  he  cometh  with  clouds, 
and  every  eye  shall  see  him ;  and  they  also  which 
pierced  him,  and  all  kindreds  of  the  earth,  shall  wail 
because  of  him."  Many  more  places  might  be  men- 
tioned in  John's  testimony,  but  not  one  word  that  he  had 
already  come  again,  as  some  supposed.  Let  this,  then, 
suffice  to  prove,  that  the  "glorious  appearing"  spoken 
of  in  our  text,  is  still  future. 


Christ's  second  coming.  17 

And  now  we  will  examine  some  of  the  evidence  of 
the  certainty  of  his  coming,  which  is  our  second 
proposition. 

II.   The  certainty  of  it : 

1st.  Because  the  ancient  prophets  all  spake  of  it 
Jude  tells  us  that  Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam, 
prophesied,  saying,  Behold  the  Lord  cometh,  with  ten 
thousands  of  his  saints,  &c.  Balaam  was  constrained 
to  admit,  "  Out  of  Jacob  shall  come  he  that  shall  have 
dominion,  and  shall  destroy  him  that  remaineth  of  the 
city,"  plainly  referring  to  the  judgment-day ;  for  he 
says,  "Alas!  who  shall  live  when  God  doth  this?" 
See  Numbers  xxiv.  17 — 23.  And  Moses  as  plainly 
refers  to  this  day  in  Deut.  xxxii.  43,  "  Rejoice,  O  ye 
nations,  with  his  people,  for  he  will  avenge  the  blood  of 
his  servants,  and  will  render  vengeance  to  his  adversa- 
ries, and  will  be  merciful  to  his  land  and  to  his  people." 
David  says,  Psalm  1.  3,  4,  "Our  God  shall  come,  and 
shall  not  keep  silence ;  a  fire  shall  devour  before  him, 
and  it  shall  be  veiy  tempestuous  round  about  him ;  he 
shall  call  to  the  heavens  from  above,  and  to  the  earth, 
(that  he  may  judge  his  people."  )  And  Isa.  xl.  5,  "  And 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and  all  flesh 
shall  see  it  together ;  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it."  In  the  39th  chapter  of  Ezekiei,  you  will 
see  the  same  day  of  judgment  prophesied  of  in  a  clear 
and  plain  manner.  In  Dan.  vii.  9,  10,  "  I  beheld  till  the 
thrones  were  cast  down,  and  the  Ancient  of  days  did 
sit,  whose  garment  was  white  as  snow,  and  the  hair  of 
his  head  like  the  pure  wool :  his  throne  was  like  the 
fiery  flame,  and  his  wheels  as  burning  fire.  A  fiery 
stream  issued  and  came  forth  before  him :  thousand 
thousands  ministered  unto  him,  and  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand  stood  before  him:  the  judgment  was  set, 
and  the  books  were  opened."  Joel  iii.  14, "  Multitudes, 
multitudes  in  the  valley  of  decision,  for  the  day  of  the 
Lord  is  near  in  the  valley  of  decision."  Zeph.  i.  14, 
"  The  great  day  of  the  Lord  is  near ;  it  is  near,  and 
hasteth  greatly,  even  the  voice  of  the  day  of  the  Lord ; 
the  mighty  men  shall  cry  there  bitterly."  Zech.  xiv.  5, 
a  And  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  come,  and  all  the  saints 


18  LECTURE     I. 

with  thee."  Mai.  iv.  %  "  But  unto  you  that  fear  my  name 
shall  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arise  with  healing  in  his 
wings,  and  ye  shall  go  forth,  and  grow  up  as  calves  in 
the  stall."  And  Christ  himself  says,  in  Matt.  xvi.  27, 
"For  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his 
Father,  with  his  angels ;  and  then  shall  he  reward  every 
man  according  to  his  works."  The  angels  that  stood 
by  the  disciples  at  the  time  Jesus  ascended  up,  and  a 
cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight,  said,  "  Ye  men  of 
Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven?  This 
same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven, 
shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go 
into  heaven."  Let  us  take  particular  notice  of  the 
phrase  this  same  Jesus,  and  compare  with  other  parallel 
passages,  as,  our  God  shall  come,  and  it  will  prove 
to  our  satisfaction  that  Jesus  Christ  is  God,  as  well  as 
man,  and  we  may  have  strong  consolation  for  our  hope 
in  his  appearing,  for  his  promises  can  never  fail. 
"Heaven  and  earth  may  pass  away,  but  not  one  jot 
or  tittle  of  his  word  shall  fail."  Also  take  notice  of 
the  words  "  like  manner,"  which  agree  with  the  often 
expressed  sentence,  "  He  shall  come  in  the  clouds  »f 
heaven."  We  shall  be  led  to  admire  the  general  har- 
mony of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  agreement  of  the 
prophets  in  their  descriptions  of  future  events.  Again, 
Christ  says  to  the  church  of  Philadelphia,  Rev.  iii.  11, 
"  Behold,  I  come  quickly :  hold  that  fast  thou  hast,  that 
no  man  take  thy  crown."  "  For  yet  a  little  while  and 
he  that  shall  come  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry,"  Heb, 
x.  37.  And  will  not  the  evidence  I  have  brought  from 
the  word  of  God  be  sufficient  to  prove  the  certainty  of 
his  future  coming  ?  And  if  I  should  argue  the  tradition 
of  nations  that  never  saw  the  word  of  God,  the  convic- 
tion on  the  mind  of  men  generally,  that  there  must  be 
a  day  of  retribution ;  could  I  open  the  breast  of  the 
reader,  and  show  the  thundering  of  your  conscience ; 
yes,  could  I  see  and  expose  the  tremblings  and  failings 
of  heart,  which  you  have  had,  while  you  have  been 
looking  with  fear  for  those  things  that  are  coming  on 
the  earth  —  of  what  use  would  it  be  ?  Would  you  be- 
lieve it  if  I  could  raise  a  dead  friend  who  would  tell 


Christ's    second   coming.  19 

you  to  prepare  to  meet  your  God?  No.  If  they  be- 
lieve not  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  would  they 
though  one  rose  from  the  dead.  How  foolish,  then, 
would  it  be  for  me  to  try  to  prove  in  any  other  manner 
what  God  has  revealed  or  promised,  than  by  the  means 
which  God  has  appointed.  By  his  word  you  will  be 
judged ;  and  if  this  condemns  you  now,  (unless  you  be- 
come reconciled,)  it  will  condemn  you  hereafter. 

III.   The  object  of  his  coming. 

1st  He  comes  to  raise  and  gather  his  saints  to  him 
in  the  air.  "  x4lS  in  Adam  all  die,  so  in  Christ  shall  all 
be  made  alive ;  but  every  man  in  his  own  order  —  Christ 
the  first  fruit,  afterwards  they  that  are  Christ's  at  his 
coming,"  1  Cor.  xv.  22,  23.  Again,  "For  if  we  be- 
lieve that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them  also 
which  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him.  For 
this  we  say  unto  you  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  we 
which  are  alive,  and  remain  unto  the  coming  of  the 
Lord,  shall  not  prevent  them  that  are  asleep.  For  the 
Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout, 
with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of 
God,  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first.  Then  we, 
which  are  alive  and  remain,  shall  be  caught  up  together 
with  them  in  the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air ; 
and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord,"  1  Thess.  iv. 
14 — 17.  "Now  we  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the 
coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  our  gathering 
together  unto  him,"  2  Thess.  ii.  1.  "  Blessed  and  holy 
is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection:  on  such  the 
second  death  shall  have  no  power,"  Rev.  xx.  6.  In 
Psalms  we  have  the  same  account  of  the  gathering  of 
his  people.  "  Gather  my  saints  together  unto  me,  those 
who  have  made  a  covenant  with  me  by  sacrifice," 
Psalm  1.  5.  Again,  see  Isaiah  Ixvi.  18,  "It  shall  come 
that  I  will  gather  all  nations  and  tongues ;  and  they  shall 
come  and  see  my  glory."  «  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  God, 
Behold,  I,  even  I,  will  both  search  my  sheep  and  seek 
them  out.  As  a  shepherd  seeketh  out  his  flock  in  the 
day  that  he  is  among  his  sheep  that  are  scattered  ;  so  will 
I  seek  out  my  sheep,  and  will  deliver  them  out  of  all 
places  where  they  have  been  scattered  in  the  cloudy  and 
dark  day,"  Ezekiel  xxxiv.  1 1,  12. 


20  LECTURE    I. 

And  now  I  refer  you  to  one  more  passage,  and  then 
pass  on.  "Behold,  I  show  you  a  mystery;  we  shall  not 
all  sleep,  (that  is,  die,)  but  we  shall  all  be  changed,  in 
a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the  last  trump ; 
for  the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and  the  dead  shall  be  raised 
incorruptible,  and  we  shall  be  changed.  For  this  cor- 
ruptible must  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  must 
put  on  immortality.  So  when  this  mortal  shall  put  on 
immortality,  then  shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  saying 
that  is  written,  Death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory."  These 
texts,  to  which  I  have  called  your  attention,  will  apply 
only  to  the  people  of  God,  or  those  who  are  in  Christ 
Jesus.  I  have,  therefore,  only  been  proving  to  you  the 
object  of  Christ's  coming,  as  it  respects  his  people.  And 
I  think  I  have  plainly  proved  that  when  Christ  shall  ap- 
pear in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great 
glory,  he  will  raise  the  righteous  dead,  change  the 
righteous  living,  gather  them  from  among  all  nations, 
where  they  have  been  scattered  during  the  ages  of  per- 
secution and  trial,  "  in  the  dark  and  cloudy  day,"  and 
receive  them  unto  himself  in  the  air,  when  they  will  ever 
be  with  the  Lord.  —  I  will, 

2dly,  Show  that  the  wicked  will  be  destroyed  from 
the  earth  by  fire,  and  the  Avorld  cleansed  from  the  curse 
of  sin  by  the  same  means,  and  prepared  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  New  Jerusalem  state,  or  the  glorious  reign 
of  Christ  with  his  people.  That  the  wicked  will  be  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  at  his  appearing,  we  prove  by  the  follow- 
ing texts :  Deut.  xxxii.  22,  "  For  a  fire  is  kindled  in 
mine  anger,  and  shall  burn  unto  the  lowest  hell,  and  shall 
consume  the  earth,  with  her  increase,  and  set  on  fire  the 
foundations  of  the  mountains."  2  Samuel  xxii.  9,  10,  13, 
"  There  went  up  a  smoke  out  of  his  nostrils,  and  fire  out 
of  his  mouth  devoured :  coals  were  kindled  by  it.  He 
bowed  the  heavens  and  came  down,  and  darkness  was 
under  his  feet.  Through  the  brightness  before  him 
were  coals  of  fire  kindled."  Psalm  xcvii.  2,  3,  "  Clouds 
and  darkness  are  round  about  him,  righteousness  and 
judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne.  A  fire  goeth 
before  him,  and  burneth  up  his  enemies  round  about" 
Isa. -Ixvi.  15,  16,  "For,  behold,  the  Lord  will  come  with 


Christ's  second  coming.  21 

fire,  and  with  his  chariots  like  a  whirlwind,  to  render  hia 
anger  with  fury,  and  his  rebuke  with  flames  of  fire. 
For  by  fire  and  by  his  sword  will  the  Lord  plead  with 
all  flesh;  and  the  slain  of  the  Lord  shall  be  many." 
Dan.  vii.  11,  "I  beheld  then,  because  of  the  voice  of  the 
great  words  which  the  horn  spake ;  I  beheld  even  till 
the  beast  was  slain,  and  his  body  destroyed,  and  given  to 
the  burning  flame."  Again,  Nahum  i.  5,  "  The  moun- 
tains quake  at  him,  and  the  hills  melt,  and  the  earth  is 
burnt  at  his  presence  ;  yea,  the  world  and  all  that  dwell 
therein."  Habakkuk  iii.  3  —  5,"  God  came  from  Teman, 
(south)  and  the  Holy  One  from  Mount  Paran,  (from 
glory.)  Selah.  His  glory  covered  the  heavens,  and  the 
earth  was  full  of  his  praise :  and  his  brightness  was  as 
the  light;  he  had  horns  coming  out  of  his  hand;  and 
there  was  the  hiding  of  his  power.  Before  him  went 
the  pestilence,  and  burning  coals  went  forth  at  his  feet. 
He  stood  and  measured  the  earth  ;  he  beheld  and  drove 
asunder  the  nations,  and  the  everlasting  mountains  were 
scattered,  the  perpetual  hills  did  bow:  his  ways  are  ever- 
lasting." Also,  Malachi  iv.  1, "  For,  behold,  the  day  com- 
eth  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven  ;  and  all  the  proud,  yea, 
and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall  be  stubble ;  and  the  day 
that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts, 
that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor  branch."  Matt, 
iii.  12,  "  Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he  will  thor- 
oughly purge  his  floor,  and  gather  his  wheat  into  the 
garner;  but  he  will  burn  up  the  chaff  with  unquenchable 
fire."  Matt.  xiii.  30,  "  Gather  ye  together  first  the  tares, 
and  bind  them  in  bundles  to  burn  them  ;  but  gather  the 
wheat  into  my  barn."  40,  "As  therefore  the  tares  are 
gathered  and  burnt,  so  shall  it  be  in  the  end  of  the 
world."  49th  verse,  "  So  shall  it  be  in  the  end  of  the 
world:  the  angels  shall  come  forth,  and  sever  the  wicked 
from  among  the  just."  Again^  Paul  to  the  church  of  the 
Thessalonians  writes,  "And  to  you  who  are  troubled, 
rest  with  us;  when  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed 
from  heaven  with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  tak- 
ing vengeance  on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  that 
obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  who  shall 
be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  pres 


22  LECTURE   I. 

ence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  power." 
2  Peter  iii.  10,  "  But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a 
thief  in  the  night,  in  the  which  the  heavens  shall  pass 
away  with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements  shall  melt 
with  fervent  heat ;  the  earth  also,  and  the  works  that  are 
therein,  shall  be  burned  up."  Rev.  xviii.  8,  "Therefore 
shall  her  plagues  come  in  one  day  —  death,  and  mourn- 
ing, and  famine ;  and  she  shall  be  utterly  burned  with  fire ; 
for  strong  is  the  Lord  God  who  judgeth  her."  These 
passages  are  but  a  part  of  the  word  of  God  which  prove 
the  destruction  of  the  wicked — of  the  anti-Christian 
beast  —  and  the  cleansing  of  the  world  by  fire.  Yet  if 
Scripture  proof  can  be  sufficient,  surely  I  have  brought 
enough  ;  and  where  that  can  have  no  bearing  on  the 
mind  of  men,  how  vain  should  I  be  to  search  the  ar- 
chives of  natural  philosophy  to  give  you  more  evi- 
dence !  for  He  who  hath  all  wisdom  in  heaven  and  in 
earth,  and  who  knows  what  is  in  the  mind  of  man,  hath 
used  the  best  arguments,  the  most  persuasive  means  (1 
had  like  to  have  said)  in  the  power  of  a  God  to  use  ;  and 
indeed  he  says,  "What  could  I  have  done  more  than  I 
have  done  for  my  vineyard."  He  has  taught  us  by  his 
own  word,  by  the  mouth  of  his  prophets,  and  -by  exam- 
ples :  witness  his  word  on  Mount  Sinai,  where  the  peo- 
ple heard  his  voice  and  saw  the  fire  ;  witness  all  the  dec- 
larations of  the  prophets  which  I  have  read;  witness 
Jesus  Christ  himself,  in  the  parable  of  the  tares  and 
wheat,  and  the  harvest ;  witness,  also,  the  destruction  of 
the  old  world  by  water,  and  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  by 
fire ;  Jerusalem  by  famine,  sword,  and  fire.  These  are  all 
set  forth  as  samples  to  warn  us  of  the  approaching  judg- 
ment. And  yet  who  believes  the  report  ?  Who  is  witl- 
ing to  examine  the  evidences — to  reason  candidly  and 
to  reflect  seriously  on  these  things  ?  Who  among  us 
puts  implicit  confidence  in  the  word  of  God,  especially 
in  that  which  is  unfulfilled  ?  Any  may  believe  in  so 
much  as  has  been  accomplished ;  but  where  is  the  virtue 
in  such  faith  ?  Where  is  the  blessedness  of  our  hope 
in  the  glorious  appearing  of  Jesus  Christ?  If  we  are 
"looking  for  that  blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious  appear- 
ing of  the  great  God  and  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ,"  we 


Christ's  second  coming.  23 

Bhall  examine  the  word  of  God  faithfully;  we  shall 
compare  scripture  with  scripture  ;  we  shall  take  notice 
of  the  signs  which  Christ  has  given  us  of  his  coming. 
That  the  day  may  not  overtake  us  as  a  thief,  we  should 
live  with  a  steady  reference  to  that  day,  and  rejoice 
more  and  more  as  we  see  the  day  approaching. 

3d.  I  will  now  give  some  of  the  evidences  concerning 
the  glorious  reign  which  must  follow  his  coming.  The 
earth,  being  cleansed  by  fire,  will,  like  the  phoenix,  be 
revived  from  its  own  ashes.  The  destruction  of  the 
wicked,  the  end  of  death,  sin  banished,  it  will  lighten 
the  world  of  a  load  of  crime  which  has  made  it  reel  to 
and  fro  like  a  drunkard;  the  internal  fires  will  have 
spent  their  force  on  aH  combustible  matter,  and  have 
gone  out ;  volcanoes  will  cease ;  earthquakes,  tornadoes, 
and  whirlwinds  can  no  more  be  experienced  or  needed, 
for  the  cause  is  gone ;  the  earth  or  the  heavens  can 
no  more  be  shaken,  "  that  those  things  that  cannot  be 
shaken  may  remain.  Wherefore  we  receiving  a  king- 
dom which  cannot  be  moved,  let  us  have  grace,  whereby 
we  may  serve  God  acceptably,  with  reverence  and 
godly  fear;  for  our  God  is  a  consuming  fire,"  Heb.  xii. 
27 — 29.  Then,  when  this  earth  shall  become  new,  by 
being  cleansed  and  purified,  the  New  Jerusalem  will 
"  come  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a 
bride  adorned  for  her  husband.  And  I  heard  a  great 
voice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of 
God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them,  and  they 
shall  be  his  people,  and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them 
and  be  their  God,"  Rev.  xxi.  2,  3.  "  And  he  carried 
me  away  in  the  spirit  to  a  great  and  high  mountain,  and 
showed  me  that  great  city,  the  Holy  Jerusalem,  descend- 
ing out  of  heaven  from  God,  having  the  glory  of  God," 
10th  verse.  "  And  the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun, 
neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it,  for  the  glory  of  God 
did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof." 
"  And  I  saw  thrones  and  they  that  sat  upon  them,  and 
judgment  was  given  unto  them ;  and  I  saw  the  souls  of 
them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus,  and 
for  the  word  of  God,  and  which  had  not  worshipped  the 
beast,  neither  his  image,  neither  had  received  his  mark 


24  LECTURE    I. 

in  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands ;  and  they  lived 
and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years ;  but  the  rest 
of  the  dead  lived  not  again  until  the  thousand  years 
were  finished.1' 

Much  more  evidence  might  be  brought  to  prove  the 
personal  reign  of  Jesus  Christ  with  his  people  ;  but  this 
is  enough  to  prove  the  glorious  and  personal  reign  after 
the  resurrection ;  but  few  dispute  it  But,  say  some,  do 
you  not  believe  in  a  spiritual  reign  of  a  thousand  years 
before  the  resurrection  ?  I  answer,  I  believe  in  a  reign 
of  grace,  by  the  influence  of  the  divine  Spirit,  for  more 
than  1800  years  past ;  but  when  you  speak  of  a  thou- 
sand years,  I  suppose  you  mean  the  same  time  that  1 
call  the  glorious  reign  after  the  resurrection  of  the 
righteous,  and  before  the  resurrection  of  the  wicked.  1 
know  of  no  spiritual  reign,  mentioned  in  the  word  of 
God,  and  especially  of  that  duration.  We  argue  that 
there  cannot  be  a  reign  of  peace  and  glory  until  the 
world  is  cleansed  from  all  wickedness,  Satan  is  chained, 
and  righteousness  fill  our  world ;  nor  until "  the  glorious 
appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ," 
even  the  anti-Christian  beast  will  not  be  destroyed,  (ac- 
cording to  the  texts  we  have  already  quoted,)  until  they 
are  destroyed  by  "  the  brightness  of  his  appearing."  All 
those  passages  which  speak  of  this  happy  period  of  rest 
to  the  people  of  God,  or  which  in  any  manner  allude  to 
it,  describe  it  as  being  after  the  resurrection  of  the 
saints,  or  after  righteousness  fills  the  earth,  and  after  the 
anti-Christian  beast  is  destroyed.  And  even  our  text 
more  than  implies  that  we  shall  not  realize  any  great  or 
glorious  results  from  our  hope,  or  collectively  in  a  body 
the  church  will  not  receive  any  important  deliverance 
until  the  "  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our 
Savior  Jesus  Christ."  Is  this  true  ?  I  say  the  passages 
of  Scripture  already  named  fix  it  beyond  a  doubt 
And  any  one  who  will  examine  the  scripture  for  himself, 
will  find  that  the  second  coming  of  Christ  is  the  point 
to  which  Jesus  Christ,  the  prophets,  and  the  apostles  di- 
rected their  disciples,  as  the  termination  of  their  trials, 
persecutions,  and  afflictions ;  and  Jesus  Christ  says,  "  In 
the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation."    I  say,  I  can  find 


Christ's  second  coming.  25 

nothing  in  the  word  of  God  to  warrant  me  to  believe 
that  we  ought  to  look  for  or  expect  a  happier  period 
than  we  now  enjoy,  until  he  who  has  promised  to  come 
shall  come  the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation, 
and  cleanse  us,  the  world,  and  make  all  things  new. 
These  things  are  abundantly  proved  in  the  unerring 
word  of  God.  And  now,  Christians,  if  these  things  are 
so,  what  manner  of  persons  ought  we  to  be  in  all  holy 
conversation  and  godliness,  looking  for  and  hasting  unto 
the  day  of  God,  "  looking  for  that  blessed  hope  and  the 
glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Savior 
Jesus  Christ "  ?  Then  let  our  conversation  be  in  heaven, 
from  whence  we  expect  our  Savior,  and  stir  up  each 
other's  pure  minds  by  way  of  remembrance  of  these 
things  ;  for  the  time  of  the  promise  draweth  nigh,  when 
he  will  come  and  receive  us  to  himself,  that  we  may  be 
with  him.  How  necessary,  my  brethren,  we  should 
examine  the  word  of  God  diligently ;  see  if  it  does  not 
give  some  indications,  some  signs,  by  which  we  may 
know  the  "  Son  of  Man  is  near,  even  at  the  door,"  and 
our  "  blessed  hope "  is  about  to  be  realized  in  the 
"  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Savior 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  If  he  comes  and  finds  us,  or 
some  of  us,  in  this  lukewarm  state,  hardly  having  looked 
into  his  word,  and,  making  our  want  of  talents  an  excuse, 
have  neglected  to  trim  our  lamps,  and  have  been  very 
spare  in  holy  conversation,  and  are  crying  peace  and 
safety  when  sudden  destruction  cometh,  and  perhaps 
have  sneeringly  mocked  and  laughingly  ridiculed  the 
idea  of  Christ  being  near  at  the  door,  and  perhaps 
have  joined  the  infidel  and  unbeliever  in  their  unholy 
remarks  on  this  subject,  and  although  we  have  heard 
the  midnight  cry,  "  Behold,  the  bridegroom  cometh,"  yet 
we  treat  it  with  neglect  or  disdain,  or  some  of  us,  per- 
haps, with  reproach,  —  I  ask,  if  the  Lord  of  such  servants 
come  and  find  us  so  doing,  what  will  he  do  with  us  ? 
He  will  come  in  an  hour  that  we  think  not,  and  cut  us 
off,  and  appoint  our  portion  among  hypocrites  and  un- 
believers, where  shall  be  weeping,  wailing,  and  gnashing 
of  teeth.  But  we  will  suppose  that  he  will  not  come  ia 
so  short  a  time  as  your  speaker  believes ;  still  what  do  I 
3 


26  LECTURE     I. 

ask  of  you,  my  brethren?  Nothing  but  what  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  apostles  required  1800  years  ago.  I  ask 
you  to  compare  these  views  with  the  Bible.  Is  this 
wrong?  No.  I  ask  you  for  holy  conversation.  Is 
this  wrong  ?  No.  I  ask  you  for  heavenly-mindedness. 
Is  this  wrong?  No,  no.  I  ask  you  to  stir  up  each 
other's  pure  minds,  to  make  improvement  on  your  one 
talent  if  no  more ;  to  come  out  of  this  cold  and  lukewarm 
state ;  to  trim  your  lamps  and  be  ready.  Are  these  re- 
quirements wrong  ?  Certainly  not ;  no,  no.  I  ask  you 
again  to  compare  scripture  with  scripture ;  to  read  the 
prophets ;  to  stop  your  revilings ;  to  take  warning  by  the 
old  world ;  to  flee  from  sin  and  the  wrath  which  is  to 
come ;  to  hide  yourselves  in  Christ,  until  the  indignation 
be  over  and  past ;  to  look  "  for  that  blessed  hope  and  the 

florious  appeamig  of  the  great   God    and   our   Savior 
esus  Christ."  T.s  this  wrong  ?     Then  be  the  wrong  on 
my  head. 

And  now,  my  impenitent  friends,  what  say  you  ?  "  We 
say,  '  You  know  nothing  about  it' "  Do  you  believe  the 
old  world  was  deluged  ?  "  Why,  yes."  What  makes  you 
believe  it?  "Because  our  philosophers  tell  us  there  are 
a  great  many  signs  remaining  of  the  flood,  and  we  can 
believe  them."  And  are  there  no  signs  of  the  near  ap- 
proach of  the  Judgment  Day  ?  What  say  the  prophets, 
apostles,  and  Jesus  Christ  ?  Are  they  not  equal  to  your 
philosophers  ?  Examine  your  Bibles,  and  see ;  weigh 
well  the  evidence ;  your  eternal  happiness,  the  salvation 
of  your  immortal  souls,  may  depend  on  your  decision. 
But  what  say  you  more  ?  "  We  say,  '  You  were  very  un- 
wise to  fix  on  the  year  1843,  or  sooner,  for  this  day  to 
come ;  for  it  will  not  come ;  and  then  you  will  be 
ashamed."  And  I  hope  I  may  be  able,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  to  repent.  But  what  if  it  does  come  ?  You  can- 
not with  any  propriety  say  positively  it  will  not  come, 
for  you  make  no  pretence  to  divination.  But  I  say, 
What  if  it  does  come  ?  Where  will  you  be  ?  No  space 
then  for  repentance.  No,  no — too  late,  too  late;  the 
harvest  is  over  and  past,  the  summer  is  gone,  the  door 
is  shut,  and  your  soul  is  not  saved.  Therefore  it  can  do 
you  no  harm  to  hear,  and  believe,  and  do  those  things 


Christ's  second  coming.  27 

which  God  requires  of  you,  and  which  you  think  you 
would  do,  if  you  knew  he  would  appear.  First,  I  ask  you 
to  repent  of  your  sins.  Would  this  be  right?  Yes. 
Next,  I  ask  you  to  believe  in  God.  Is  this  right?  Yes. 
And  I  ask  you  to  be  reconciled  to  his  will,  love  his  law, 
forsake  sin,  love  holiness,  practise  his  precepts,  obey  his 
commands.  Would  these  things  be  right?  Yes,  yes. 
And  last  of  all,  and  not  least,  I  ask  you  to  I  look  for  that 
Dlessed  hope  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great 
God  and  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ."    Amen. 


LECTURE    II. 


REV.  xx.  6. 


Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection  ;  on 
such  the  second  death  hath  no  power ;  but  they  shall  be  priests 
of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign  with  him  a  thousand  years. 

The  term  "blessed  and  holy"  is  often  used  in  Scrip- 
ture, and  in  many  places  is  applied  to  man ;  but  in  no 
place  without  giving  some  characteristic  mark  of  his 
being  born  of  God,  or  inheriting  the  fruits  of  the  divine 
Spirit;  and  very  often  the  word  blessed  is  used  standing 
m  immediate  connection  with  the  resurrection  and 
coming  of  Christ,  either  expressed  or  implied,  as  in  Isa. 
Ixii.  11,  12,  "  Behold,  the  Lord  hath  proclaimed  unto  the 
end  of  the  world,  Say  ye  to  the  daughter  of  Zion,  Behold, 
thy  salvation  cometh;  behold,  his  reward  is  with  him, 
and  his  work  before  him.  And  they  shall  call  them  The 
holy  people,  The  redeemed  of  the  Lord ;  and  thou  shalt 
be  called,  Sought  out,  A  city  not  forsaken."  Isa.  xxx. 
18,  "  And  therefore  will  the  Lord  wait,  that  he  may  be 
gracious  unto  you,  and  therefore  will  he  be  exalted,  that 
he  may  have  mercy  upon  you ;  for  the  Lord  is  a  God  of 
j u  dgment.  Blessed  are  all  they  that  wait  for  him."  Dan- 
iel says,  xii.  12,  "  Blessed  is  he  that  waiteth,  and  cometh  to 
the  1335  days."  John  says,  Rev.  xiv.  13,  "  Blessed  are 
the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord."  "  Write,  Blessed  are 
they  which  are  called  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the 
Lamb."  "Behold,  I  come  quickly;  blessed  is  he  that 
keepeth  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book." 
"  Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  commandments,  that  they 


Christ's  second  coming.  29 

may  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in 
through  the  gates  into  the  city."  By  these  passages  I 
show  you  that  all  the  children  of  God  are  included  in 
this  blessing,  and  not  the  martyrs  only,  as  some  will 
have  it.  The  next  thing  which  will  claim  our  attention 
will  be  to  explain  the  resurrection  spoken  of  in  our 
text,  called  the  first  resurrection.  The  word  resurrection 
signifies  to  revive,  or  resuscitate,  or  bring  to  life  again, 
one  now  dead,  who  was  once  alive.  It  nowhere  in  the 
word  of  God  conveys  an  idea  of  a  new  creation,  and 
the  word  is  nowhere  used  in  the  Bible  expressing  any 
thing  less  or  more  than  a  union  of  soul  and  body,  and 
deliverance  from  natural  death.  The  word  resurrection 
is  nowhere  used  in  a  figurative  sense ;  it  in  all  places 
has  its  own  simple  meaning,  unless  our  text  is  an  ex- 
ception. And  without  the  objector  can  show  some  rule 
of  interpretation  by  which  we  shall  be  warranted  to 
understand  the  word  in  a  different  sense,  we  must  beg 
leave  to  attach  to  it  the  simple  meaning,  coming  to  life 
from  the  grave.  I  know  some  have  supposed  that  regen- 
eration is  resurrection ;  but  I  cannot  believe  this  unless 
they  show  some  rule.  I  know  some  pretend  to  show  us, 
in  John  v.  25,  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  The  hour 
is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the 
voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  they  that  hear  shall  live," 
as  a  rule  ;  but  in  order  to  make  this  a  rule,  they  must 
prove  that  Christ  meant  regeneration ;  until  this  is  shown, 
we  cannot  admit  it  as  any  proof. 

We  shall,  therefore,  consider  the  word  resurrection 
as  coming  up  out  of  the  grave,  and  pass  to  the  word 
first.  "  The  first  resurrection."  The  resurrection  of  the 
saints  is  first  as  it  respects  order  and  time.  Wherever 
the  word  resurrection  is  used  ja  connection  with  life  or 
damnation,  the  one  unto  life  always  comes  first ;  as  in 
Daniel  xii.  2,  "  Some  to  evemHting  life,  and  some  to 
shame  and  everlasting  contempt ; "  John  v.  29,  "  They 
that  have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life  ;  and 
they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of 
damnation."  Here  are  two  samples  as  it  respects  order. 
One  or  two  as  it  respects  time :  1  Cor.  xv.  23,  "  Christ 
the  first  fruits,  then  after  ward  thev  that  are  Christ's  at 
3* 


30  LECTURE   II. 

his  coming.  Then  cometh  the  end."  And  again, 
1  Thess.  iv.  16,  "  For  the  Lord  himself  shall  descend 
from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  arch- 
angel and  the  trump  of  God ;  and  the  dead  in  Christ 
shall  rise  first."  And  then  our  context  and  text  shows 
that  the  blessed  and  holy  are  raised  a  thousand  years 
before  the  rest  of  the  dead.  If  we  are  correct,  then, 
Christ  will  come  before  the  millennium  instead  of  after- 
wards, as  some  believe ;  and  the  millennium  is  a  state  of 
personal,  and  glorious,  and  immortal  reign  on  the  new 
earth,  or  this  earth  cleansed  by  fire,  as  it  was  once 
by  water;  and  it  will  be  a  new  dispensation,  new 
heavens,  and  new  earth.  This  will  be  our  next  propo- 
sition to  prove.  And,  first,  we  will  examine  the  20th 
chapter  of  Revelation,  1st  verse:  "And  I  saiv  an 
angel  come  doion  from  heaven;"  —  this  angel  I  consider 
no  less  a  being  than  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  for  it  only 
can  be  said  of  him ;  —  "  having  the  key  of  the  bottomless 
pit  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand."  See  Rev.  i.  18  : 
"I  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead;  and  behold,  I  am 
alive  for  evermore,  amen,  and  have  the  keys  of  hell  and 
of  death."  And  Christ  only  has  power  to  bind  Satan. 
"That  he  might  destroy  him  that  had  the  power  of 
death,  that  is,  the  devil,"  Heb.  ii.  14.  2d  verse  :  "And 
he  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  which  is  the 
devil,  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  a  thousand  years"  I 
suppose  this  verse  needs  no  explanation.  It  can  only 
be  understood  in  a  literal  sense,  for  it  explains  itself  in 
the  figures  used ;  as  dragon  and  serpent,  often  used 
as  figures,  are  explained  to  mean  the  devil  and  Satan. 
If  the  thousand  years  had  been  used,  in  this  chapter, 
or  any  where  else  in  the  word  of  God,  in  a  mystical 
or  figurative  sense,  it  would  have  been  somewhere  ex- 
plained ;  but,  as  it  ijlftot,  I  consider  we  are  to  place 
upon  it  the  most  siinprc  construction,  and  I  shall  there- 
fore understand  it  literally.  3d  verse :  "  And  cast  him 
into  the  bottomless  pit;"  —  by  bottomless  pit,  I  have 
shown,  by  the  proof  on  our  first  vei-se,  that  it  is  hell ; 
see  Rev.  i.  18  ',—  "and  shut  him  up  and  set  a  seal  upon 
him,  that  he  should  deceive  the  nations  no  more,  till  the 
thousand  years  should  be  fulfilled ;  and  after  that  he  must 


Christ's  second  coming.  31 

be  loosed  a  little  season."  This  passage  must  be  under- 
stood in  its  simple,  plain  meaning ;  no  mystery  in  this. 
4th  verse :  "  And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  on  them, 
and  judgment  was  given  unto  them ; "  —  here  we  have 
a  prophecy  of  the  fulfilment  of  a  promise  that  Christ 
made  to  his  disciples,  in  Matt  xix.  28:  "And  Jesus 
said  unto  them,  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  ye  which 
have  followed  me  in  the  regeneration,  when  the  Son 
of  Man  shall  sit  in  the  throne  of  his  glory,  ye  also 
shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel ; "  — "  and  I  saw  the  souls  of  them  that  were 
beheaded  for  the  icitness  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of 
God,  and  which  had  not  worshipped  the  beast,  neither  his 
image,  neither  had  received  his  mark  upon  their  foreheads, 
or  in  their  hands  ;  and  they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ 
a  thousand  years"  In  this  description  we  have  the 
whole  family  of  the  redeemed;  for  all  that  had  not 
worshipped  the  beast  or  his  image,  or  received  a  mark, 
and,  in  one  word,  all  that  were  not  the  servants  of  Satan 
or  sin,  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years. 
5th  verse :  "  But  the  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not  again 
U7itil  the  thousand  years  were  finished.  This  is  the  first 
resurrection"  The  rest  of  the  dead  means  the  wicked 
dead,  who  do  not  have  part  in  the  first  resurrection ; 
lived  not  again,  showing  conclusively  that  it  is  a  natural 
life  and  death  spoken  of.  The  first  resurrection  is  the 
resurrection  of  the  saints  at  his  coming.  Then  cornea 
in  our  text,  which  has  and  will  be  explained  in  the 
lecture.  7th  verse  :  "  And  when  the  thousand  years  are 
expired,  Satan  shall  be  loosed  out  of  his  prison."  We 
may  reasonably  expect  that,  when  Satan  is  let  loose, 
all  the  damned  spirits  are  let  loose  with  him ;  and  it 
has  been  strongly  implied  they  were  to  live  again  in 
the  body,  at  the  end  of  the  thousand  years.  8th  verse : 
"And  shall  go  out"  —  that  is,  Satan  —  "to  deceive  the 
nations  ivhich  are  in  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth "  — 
"  ashes  under  the  feet  of  the  saints,"  as  Malachi  tells 
us :  "  And  ye  shall  tread  down  the  wicked ;  for  they 
shall  be  ashes  under  the  soles  of  your  feet  in  the  day 
that  I  shall  do  this,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts  "  —  "  Gog 
and  Magog"  —  the    armies  of  the  wicked  that  were 


32  LECTURE    II. 

slain  at  the  commencing1  of  the  thousand  years,  or 
coming  of  Christ,  at  the  supper  of  the  great  God,  and 
battle  of  Armageddon  ;  see  Ezekiel  xxxviii.,  xxxix.  — 
"  to  gather  them  together  to  battle  ; "  —  this  is  their 
design,  but  there  is  no  battle,  for  God  himself  is  with 
his  people  to  defend  them  ;  and  he  destroys  the  wicked 
host,  "  the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of  the  sea  ; " 
evidently  including  the  whole  number  of  the  wicked ; 
for  the  figure,  sand  of  the  sea,  is  never  used,  only  to 
express  the  whole  class  of  the  people  named ;  as,  the 
children  of  Israel,  the  whole  host  of  Jacob.  9th  verse : 
"  And  they  went  up  on  the  breadth  of  the  earth ; "  —  that 
is,  this  army  of  Gog  and  Magog  were  raised  up  out 
of  the  surface  of  the  earth,  that  only  being  the  breadth 
of  a  globular  body  ;  —  "  and  compassed  the  camp  of  the 
saints  about,  and  the  beloved  city  ; "  —  plainly  showing 
that  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  beloved  city,  is  on  the 
earth  during  the  thousand  years,  or  how  could  this 
wicked  host  encompass  it  about?  they  have  not  climbed 
the  celestial  walls  of  heaven  —  no;  for  it  says,  "and 
fire  came  down  from  God  out  of  heaven  and  devoured 
them."  This  is  the  second  death,  represented  under 
the  figure  of  fire  coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven ; 
not  the  conflagration  of  the  world,  —  for  that  was  in 
the  commencing  of  the  thousand  years,  when  Christ 
came  and  cleansed  the  world  from  all  the  wicked,  and 
the  works  of  wicked  men,  —  but  the  justice  of  God, 
under  the  figure  of  fire  ;  "  for  our  God  is  a  consuming 
fire."  Heb.  xii.  29.  10th  verse  :  "  And  the  devil  that 
deceived  them  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone, 
where  the  beast  and  false  prophet  are,  and  shall  be  tor- 
mented day  and  night  forever  and  ever."  In  this  verse, 
the  final  condemnation  of  the  wicked,  soul  and  body, 
is  given ;  and  the  last  that  God  has  seen  fit  to  reveal 
concerning  them  to  us  is,  that  they  are  cast  into  ever- 
lasting torment.  In  the  next  verse,  John  has  another 
vision  of  the  same  things  which  he  had  before  told  us, 
only  in  a  different  point  of  view,  or  some  circumstance 
not  before  clearly  described.  And  I  saw  always  im- 
plies a  new  view,  or  another  vision.  11th  verse :  "  Ana, 
I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and  him  that  sat  on  it;  from 


Christ's  second  coming.  33 

whose  face  the  heavens  and  earth  fled  away ;  and  there 
was  no  place  found  for  them"  This  is  the  same  throne 
that  Daniel  saw,  vii.  9 — 14 :  "  I  beheld  till  the  thrones 
were  cast  down  and  the  Ancient  of  days  did  sit,  whose 
garment  was  white  as  snow,  and  the  hair  of  his  head 
like  the  pure  wool :  his  throne  was  like  the  fiery  flame, 
and  his  wheels  as  burning  fire."  12th  verse :  "  Ana 
I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God ;  ana 
the  books  were  opened;  and  another  book  ivas  opened, 
which  is  the  book  of  life ;  and  the  dead  were  judged  out 
of  those  things  which  were  written  in  the  books,  according 
to  their  works."  This  is  the  same  as  Daniel  saw,  vii. 
10  :  "A  fiery  stream  issued  and  came  forth  from  before 
him ;  thousand  thousands  ministered  unto  him,  and  ten 
thousand  times  ten  thousand  stood  before  him.  The 
judgment  was  set,  and  the  books  were  opened."  It  is 
very  evident  that  this  is  the  beginning  of  the  judgment, 
when  Christ  comes  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  with  power 
and  great  glory,  to  raise  and  judge  his  saints,  and  to 
reward  every  man  as  his  work  shall  be.  1st,  because 
it  is  when  the  judgment  first  sets ;  2d,  because,  the  book 
of  life  is  there,  and  open;  and,  3d,  because  it  was  at 
the  time  or  before  antichrist  was  destroyed ;  and  no 
one  can  believe  that  the  antichristian  beast  can  be  on 
the  earth  during  or  in  the  millennium.  13th  verse: 
u  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  ivhieh  were  in  it;  ana 
death  and  hell  delivered  up  the  dead  ivhich  were  in  them.n 
I  conclude  the  apostle,  after  he  had  seen  the  righteous 
dead  raised,  small  and  great,  and  stand  before  God, 
and  saw  the  book  of  life  open  to  justify  them,  and  saw 
them  judged  and  rewarded,  he  then  glides  down  to  the 
end  of  the  thousand  years,  and  beheld  the  wicked  dead 
given  up  by  those  elements  and  places  wherein  they 
had  been  confined  during  the  millennial  period,  to  be 
judged  in  the  flesh,  every  man  according  to  his  works. 

This  only  can  reconcile  some  of  those  conflicting 
passages  (or  seemingly  so  to  us)  concerning  the  resur- 
rection ;  and  I  cannot  see  any  impropriety  in  thus  under- 
standing these  prophecies ;  for  it  is  the  common  manner 
of  the  prophets,  a  little  here  and  a  little  there.  In  all 
the  descriptions  of  the  resurrection  of  the  righteous 


34  LECTURE   II. 

dead,  they  are  represented  as  being-  gathered  by  the 
angels  of  God,  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  when  the 
seventh  or  last  trump  shall  sound ;  and  it  is  equally  as 
evident  that  their  works  are  brought  into  judgment. 
Although  they  may  not  be  justified  by  their  works,  but 
out  of  the  book  of  life,  yet  the  apostle  Paul  says,  speak- 
ing of  his  brethren,  "  We  must  all  stand  before  the 
judgment  seat  of  Christ."  Rom.  xiv.  10.  And  again, 
2  Cor.  v.  10,  "  For  we  must  all  stand  before  the  judg- 
ment seat  of  Christ ;  that  every  one  may  receive  the 
things  done  in  his  body,  according  to  that  he  hath  done, 
whether  it  be  good  or  bad."  And,  1  Cor.  iii.  13 — 15, 
"Every  man's  work  shall  be  made  manifest;  for  the 
day  shall  declare  it,  because  it  shall  be  revealed  by 
fire ;  and  the  fire  shall  try  every  man's  work,  of  what 
sort  it  is.  If  any  man's  work  abide  which  he  hath 
built  thereupon,  he  shall  receive  a  reward.  If  any 
man's  work  shall  be  burned,  he  shall  suffer  loss:  yet 
he  himself  shall  be  saved,  so  as  by  fire."  We  see,  by 
these  texts,  that  the  books  of  every  man's  works  will 
be  open,  as  well  as  the  book  of  life,  in  the  first  resur- 
rection; but,  in  the  second  resurrection,  there  is  no 
book  of  life  open  in  that  part  of  the  judgment,  neither 
are  they  gathered  by  the  angels  of  God ;  but  the  sea, 
death,  and  hell,  delivered  up  the  dead  which  were  in 
them,  and  they  were  judged  every  n\an  according  to 
their  works ;  and  Satan  is  the  means  of  gathering  them 
around  the  beloved  city,  where  they  are  judged  in  the 
flesh.  By  the  sea,  death,  and  hell,  I  understand  the  sea, 
grave,  and  place  of  punishment  The  sea  and  the 
grave  would  give  up  the  dissolved  particles  of  the  body, 
and  hell  (or  Hades)  would  give  up  their  departed 
sp  jits ;  this  would  constitute  the  second  resurrection. 
"And  they  were  judged  every  man  according  to  their 
works.17  They  had  chosen,  in  this  life,  to  stand  on  their 
works ;  they  had  refused  to  believe  in  a  Mediator ;  they 
had  not  followed  his  commands,  neither  had  they  pro 
fessed  his  name  before  men,  or  suffered  persecution 
for  the  sake  of  his  testimony.  They  had  treated  his 
word  with  total  neglect,  or  called  his  grace  tyranny. 
They  had  said  he  was  a  hard  master,  and  buried  their 


chrt-st's  second  coming.  35 

talent  in  the  earth.  They  had  placed  their  supreme 
affections  on  the  world,  and  made  fine  gold  their  trust. 
They  had  persecuted  the  children  of  God  in  this  world, 
and  showed  that  they  were  the  children  of  that  wicked 
one  who  slew  his  brother.  They  had  prostituted  their 
bodies  to  whoredom,  and  sacrificed  to  Bacchus  and 
Venus  their  first-fruits.  They  had  professed  damna- 
ble heresies,  and  filled  the  world  with  their  delusive 
schemes  and  sects.  They  had  worshipped  the  creature, 
and  neglected  prayer  to  the  Creator.  They  had  filled 
the  world  with  their  lies  and  abominations,  and  gloried 
in  their  shame.  14th  verse  :  "  And  death  and  hell  were 
cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  This  is  the  second  death."  By 
death  and  hell  I  understand  the  body  and  spirit.  15th 
verse :  "  And  whosoever  was  not  found  ivritten  in  the 
Lamb's  book  of  life,  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire."  "  But 
the  fearful  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and 
murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idol- 
aters, and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake 
which  burnetii  with  fire  and  brimstone,  which  is  the 
second  death."  Rev.  xxi.  8.  "Blessed  are  they  that 
do  his  commandments,  that  they  may  have  right  to  the 
tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the 
city.  For  without  are  dogs,  and  sorcerers,  and  whore- 
mongers, and  murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  whosoever 
loveth  and  makefh  a  lie,"  Rev.  xxii.  14,  15.  Then  our 
text  says,  "Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the 
first  resurrection."  This  we  have  proved  is  the  resur- 
rection of  the  righteous  dead,  who  died  in  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ,  and  who  should  live  with  him  at  his 
coming;  on  them  the  second  death  should  have  no 
power,  "  but  they  shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ, 
and  shall  reign  with  him  a  thousand  years." 

To  be  priests  unto  God  and  unto  Christ,  is  to  be  holy ; 
to  be  a  kingdom  of  priests  of  a  peculiar  people,  that 
should  show  forth  his  praises  by  declaring  to  the  uni- 
verse that  out  of  nature's  darkness  they  had  been  re- 
deemed by  his  blood,  called  by  his  grace  unto  his 
glorious,  happy,  and  holy  kingdom,  and  that  they 
should  dwell  on  the  earth.  See  Rev.  v.  9,  10,  "  And 
they  sung  a  new  song,  saying,  Thou  art  worthy  to  take 


36  LECTURE   II. 

the  book  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof;  for  thou  wast 
slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood,  out 
of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation; 
and  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests,  and 
we  shall  reign  on  the  earth."  See,  also,  Rev.  i.  6,  "And 
hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God,  and  his 
Father."  Again,  1  Pet.  ii.  5,  9,  "Ye  also,  as  lively 
stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house,  a  holy  priest- 
hood." "But  ye  are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal 
priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people."  The 
passages  to  which  I  have  cited  your  minds,  prove,  be- 
yond a  reasonable  doubt,  that  the  thousand  years  spo- 
ken of  in  the  text  is  between  the  two  resurrections  ■  i 
state  of  happiness,  of  glory,  of  holiness,  and  that  it 
shall  be  on  the  earth.  It  is  a  state  of  immortality,  as 
abundant  scriptures  evidently  prove.  Where,  then,  you 
may  inquire,  is  the  spiritual  millennium  which  our  theo- 
rists, in  the  present  age,  are  teaching  us  to  expect  ?  1 
answer,  There  is  not  a  thousand  years  spoken  of  in 
Scripture,  except  in  2  Pet,  3d  chapter,  and  in  which  the 
judgment  day  is  the  subject  of  discussion,  and  in  the 
chapter  of  which  our  text  is  a  part ;  and  in  neither  of 
these  places  is  any  thing  said  about  spiritual  reign; 
neither  can  we  find  any  thing  in  the  word  of  God  by 
which  we  could  fairly  draw  the  conclusion  of  such  a 
reign ;  and  as  it  is  not  proper  for  me  to  show  the  neg- 
ative, I  call  on  all  of  you  to  show  where  we  may  find 
the  evidence,  that  is,  all  of  you  who  believe  in  a 
spiritual  reign.  If  there  is  such  a  reign,  it  must  be 
before  the  second  coming  of  Christ ;  for  when  he  comes, 
he  will  receive  us  to  himself,  that  where  he  is  there  we 
may  be  also;  no  more  away  from  his  people,  for  he 
says  he  will  be  with  them,  and  make  his  abode  with 
them,  and  he  will  be  their  light,  and  will  dwell  with 
them,  and  make  his  abode  with  them,  and  they  shall 
dwell  on  the  earth.  Where,  when,  or  how  the  idea  of 
a  spiritual  reign  of  a  thousand  years  should  or  could 
obtain  a  place  in  our  faith,  having  the  word  of  God 
as  our  evidence,  I  cannot  tell.  Some  say  that  the 
prophets  speak  often  of  times  or  things  which  have  not 
keen  fulfilled  in  our  day,  or  under  the  present  dispensa- 


Christ's  second   coming,  37 

tion,  and  which  would  be  too  gross  to  be  admitted  into 
a  state  of  immortality.  There  may  be  such  —  yet  I 
find  no  difficulty  in  understanding  all  those  passages 
which  have  been  presented,  or  come  under  my  con- 
sideration, to  refer  to  the  gospel  day.  But  how  long  do 
the  prophets  say  that  time  shall  he  ?  Do  they  designate 
any  time?  No;  neither  one,  ten,  one  hundred,  or  one 
thousand  years  are  mentioned  in  any  of  those  passages- 
Why  then  call  it  a  millennium  ?  Because  Peter  and 
John  have  mentioned  a  thousand  years.  This  cannot 
be  admitted  to  mean  any  state  this  side  of  the  state  of 
immortality  ;  for  Peter  says  plainly,  "  Yet,  nevertheless, 
we  look  for  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  wherein 
dwelletii  righteousness."  This  would  be  a  new  state, 
surely — nothing  gross  or  vile  in  this  kingdom,  whoever 
may  be  king;  and  John  expressly  says,  "They  lived  and 
reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years,"  and  says,  "  This 
•is  the  first  resurrection."  Now,  admit  there  is  such  a 
time,  how  or  by  what  rule  shall  we  call  it  a  thousand 
years  ? 

Again,  where,  in  all  the  prophecies,  can  any  one  show 
me  that  the  church  will  be  blessed  and  holy,  or  happy 
and  righteous,  as  it  may  be  rendered,  until  he  comes, 
that  is,  at  Christ's  second  appearance  ?  And  where  in 
the  word  are  we  to  learn  that  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
are  to  be  destroyed  before  the  coming  of  the  Ancient  of 
days  ?  Do  we  believe  that  the  anti-Christian  beast,  or 
mystical  Babylon,  will  be  on  the  earth  during  this  mil- 
lennial reign  ?  No,  it  cannot  be  ;  yet  all  must  acknowl- 
edge that  she  is  only  destroyed  by  the  brightness  of 
his  coming.  Who  can  read  the  19th  chapter  of  Rev- 
elation, without  being  convinced  that  the  marriage  sup- 
per of  the  Lamb,  the  treading  of  the  wine-press  of  the 
fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almighty  God,  and  the  supper 
of  the  great  God,  are  events  which  must  take  place 
before  the  millennium  ?  And  if  so,  who  can  believe  that 
after  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  to  the  bride  ;  after  she 
is  arrayed  in  linen  clean  and  white,  which  is  the 
righteousness  of  the  saints  ;  after  they  have  received  a 
crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  righteous  Judge  shall 
give  to  all  them  who  love  his  appearing  in  that  chy5-"» 
4 


38  LECTURE    II. 

Christ  will  not  be  with  her  in  person?  None.  But 
our  text  tells  us  he  will  live  and  reign  with  them,  and 
they  shall  be  priests  to  God. 

Again :  while  in  this  state  of  mortality  and  trial,  we 
are  called  the  servants  and  ministers  of  Christ ;  but 
then,  in  the  millennial  blessedness,  we  shall  be  called 
priests  of  God  and  of  Christ.  You  may  ask,  "  Why  this 
distinction  in  the  language?"  I  answer,  There  is  a 
great  difference  between  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  as  it 
was  established  when  Christ  was  here  on  earth,  and  the 
kingdom  given  up  to  God,  even  the  Father.  The  subjects 
of  Christ's  kingdom,  in  this  state  of  things,  may  be,  and 
in  fact  are,  imperfect.  Hypocrites  and  false  professors 
may  and  do  obtain  an  entrance  into  it;  for  an  enemy 
hath  sown  tares.  But  the  kingdom  of  God,  no  man, 
says  Christ,  can  see,  or  enter,  without  being  born  of 
God.  Here  they  may  deceive  the  sentinels  which 
guard  the  kingdom  of  Christ ;  but  in  the  kingdom  of 
God  "  there  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  it  any  thing  that 
defileth,  neither  whatsoever  worketh  abomination  or 
maketh  a  lie ;  but  they  which  are  written  in  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life."  Here  the  children  of  the  kingdom  are 
persecuted,  tormented,  perplexed,  cast  down ;  but  in  the 
kingdom  of  God  their  enemies  are  all  slain ;  they  are 
comforted,  glorified,  justified,  exalted ;  and  not  a  dog  to 
move  his  tongue.  Here  they  weep,  but  there  will  re- 
joice :  here  they  sin  and  repent;  they  there  will  be  holy 
without  fault  before  his  throne.  "  Blessed  and  holy  is 
he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection."    Amen. 


LECTURE   III. 


DANIEL  vni.  13,  14. 


'•'Then  I  heard  one  saint  speaking,  and  another  saint  said  unto  that 
certain  saint  which  spake,  How  long  shall  be  the  vision  concern- 
ing the  daily  sacrifice,  and  the  transgression  of  desolation,  to 
give  both  the  sanctuary  and  the  host  to  be  trodden  under  foot  ? 
And  he  said  unto  me,  Unto  two  thousand  three  hundred  days  : 
Ihen  shall  the  sanctuary  be  cleansed  ;  "  or  justified,  as  it  might 
have  been  translated. 


The  hearer  will,  at  the  first  view  of  our  text,  perceive 
that  there  is  something  very  important  communicated  in 
the  question  and  answer  given  ;  or  why  are  saints  com- 
missioned (as  we  may  reasonably  suppose)  from  the 
courts  of  heaven,  to  ask  and  answer  the  question  con- 
tained in  the  text,  in  presence  of  the  prophet  ?  And 
that  it  concerned  Daniel,  and  us  for  whom  the  prophet 
wrote  his  prophecy,  to  understand,  is  evident  from  the  an- 
swer being-  given  to  Daniel  —  "  and  he  said  unto  me"  — 
instead  of  being  given  to  the  "  saint,"  who  made  the  in- 
quiry. Then  we  are  not  treading  on  forbidden  ground, 
my  dear  hearer,  to  search'to  understand  the  meaning  and 
truth  of  our  subject. 

I  shall  then  treat  our  subject  in  the  following  manner: 

I.  Explain  some  of  the  figures  and  expressions  used 
in  the  text. 

II.  Show  what  the  "daily  sacrifice  vision"  is,  and, 

III.  The  time  or  length  of  the  vision  "  unto  two  thou- 
sand three  hundred  days:  then  shall  the  sanctuary  be 
cleansed." 

I.  I  am  to  explain  some  of  the  figures  used  in  the 
text;  and, 


40  LECTURE    III. 

1st,  the  "  daily  sacrifice?  This  may  be  understood^ 
hy  some,  to  mean  the  Jewish  rites  and  ceremonies  ;  and 
by  others,  the  Pagan  rites  and  sacrifices.  As  both  Jews 
and  Pagans  had  their  rites  and  sacrifices  both  morning 
and  evening,  and  their  altars  were  kept  smoking  with 
their  victims  of  beasts,  and  their  holy  fire  was  preserved 
in  their  national  altars  and  temples  devoted  to  their  sev- 
eral deities  or  gods,  we  might  be  at  a  loss  to  know  which 
of  these  to  apply  this  figurative  expression  to,  did  not  our 
text  and  context  explain  the  meaning.  It  is  very  evi- 
dent, when  we  carefully  examine  our  text,  that  it  is  to 
be  understood  as  referring  to  Pagan  and  Papal  rites,  for 
it  stands  coupled  with  "the  abomination  of  desolation," 
and  performs  the  same  acts,  such  as  are  ascribed  to  the 
Papal  abomination,  u  to  give  both  the  sanctuary  and 
host  to  be  trodden  under  foot."  See,  also,  Rev.  xi.  2, 
u  But  the  court  which  is  without  the  temple  leave  out, 
and  measure  it  not ;  for  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles ; 
and  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and 
two  months."  This  last  text  only  has  reference  to  the 
Papal  beast,  which  was  the  image  of  the  Pagan  ;  but  the 
text  in  consideration  has  reference  to  both  Pagan  and 
Papal.  That  is,  How  long  shall  the  Pagan  transgression 
and  the  Papal  transgression  tread  under  foot  the  sanc- 
tuary and  host  ?  This  must  be  the  true  and  literal  mean- 
ing of  our  text;  it  could  not  mean  the  anti-Christian 
abomination  alone,  for  they  never  desolated  the  Jewish 
church;  neither  could  it  mean  Antiochus,  the  Syrian 
king;  for  he  and  his  kingdom  were  made  desolate  and 
destroyed  before  Christ ;  and  it  is  evident  that  Christ 
had  an  allusion  to  this  very  power,  when  he  told  his 
disciples,  Matt.  xxiv.  15,  "  When  ye  therefore  shall  see 
the  abomination  of  desolation,  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the 
prophet,  stand  in  the  holy  place."  I  believe  all  com- 
mentators agree  that  Christ  meant  the  Roman  power  — 
if  so,  then  Daniel  has  the  same  meaning  ;  for  this  is  the 
very  passage  to  which  Christ  alluded.  Then  the  "  daily 
sacrifice"  means  Pagan  rites  and  sacrifices,  and  the 
transgression  of  desolation,  the  Papal ;  and  both  together 
shall  tread  under  foot  the  "  sanctuary  and  host,"  which 
brings  me  to  show  what  may  be  understood  by  "  sane- 


Christ's  second  coming.  4l 

tuary  and  host"  By  sandum-y,  we  must  understand  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  those  who  worship  therein, 
which  was  trodden  under  foot  by  the  Pagan  kingdoms 
of  the  world,  since  the  days  of  Daniel,  the  writer  of 
our  text;  then  by  the  Chaldeans;  afterwards  by  the 
Medes  and  Persians  ;  next  by  the  Grecians ;  and  lastly 
by  the  Romans,  who  destroyed  the  city  and  sanctuary,  lev- 
elled the  temple  with  the  ground,  and  caused  the  plough 
to  pass  over  the  place.  The  people  of  the  Jews,  too, 
were  led  into  captivity  and  persecuted  by  all  these  king- 
doms successively,  and  finally  by  the  Romans  were  ta- 
ken away  and  destroyed  as  a  nation.  And  as  the  proph- 
et Isaiah,  Ixiii.  18,  says,  "The  people  of  thy  holiness 
have  possessed  it  but  a  little  while  :  our  adversaries  have 
trodden  down  thy  sanctuary."  Jeremiah,  also,  in  Lam. 
i.  10,  "  The  adversary  hath  spread  out  his  hand  upon  all 
her  pleasant  things  ;  for  she  hath  seen  that  the  heathen 
entered  into  her  sanctuary,  whom  thou  didst  command  that 
they  should  not  enter  into  thy  congregation."  The  word 
host  is  applied  to  the  people  who  worship  in  the  outer 
court,  and  fitly  represents  the  Christian  church,  who  are 
said  to  be  strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the  earth,  having  no 
continuing  places,  but  looking  for  a  city  whose  builder 
and  maker  is  God.  Jeremiah,  speaking  of  the  gospel 
church,  says,  iii.  19,  "  But  I  said,  How  shall  I  put  thee 
among  the  children,  and  give  thee  a  pleasant  land,  a 
goodly  heritage  of  the  host  of  nations  ?  "  evidently  mean- 
ing the  church  from  the  Gentiles.  "Then  shall  the 
sanctuary  be  cleansed  or  justified,"  means  the  true  sanc- 
tuary which  God  has  built  of  lively  stones  to  his  own  ac- 
ceptance, through  Christ,  of  which  the  temple  at  Jeru- 
salem was  but  a  type,  the  shadows  having  long  since 
fled  away,  and  that  temple  and  people  now  destroyed, 
and  all  included  in  unbelief.  So  whosoever  looks  for 
the  worldly  sanctuary  to  be  built  again,  will  find  them- 
selves as  much  mistaken  as  the  unbelieving  Jews  were, 
when  they  looked  for  a  temporal  prince  in  the  Messiah. 
For  there  is  not  a  word  in  the  prophets  or  apostles,  after 
Zerubbabel  built  the  second  temple,  that  a  third  one 
w-ould  ever  be  built;  except  the  one  which  cometh  down 
from  heaven,  which  is  a  spiritual  one,  and  which  is  the 
4* 


42  LECTURE    III. 

mother  of  us  all,  (Jew  and  Gentile,)  and  which  is  free 
and  when  that  New  Jerusalem  is  perfected,  then  shall 
we  be  cleansed  and  justified ;  for  Paul  says  to  the 
Phillippians,  iii.  20,  21,  "For  our  conversation  is  in 
heaven ;  from  whence  also  we  look  for  the  Savior,  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  change  our  vile  body,  that 
it  may  be  fashioned  like  unto  his  glorious  body,  accord- 
ing to  the  working  whereby  he  is  able  to  subdue  all 
things  to  himself; "  that  is,  "  they  that  are  his  at  his 
coming."  We  see  by  these  texts  —  and  many  more 
might  be  quoted  —  that  the  spiritual  sanctuary  will  not 
be  cleansed  until  Christ's  second  coming ;  and  then 
all  Israel  shall  be  raised,  judged,  and  justified  in  his 
sight 

II.  We  shall  now  try  to  understand  what  is  meant  by 
the  " vision"  in  the  text. 

The  vision,  spoken  of  in  the  text,  alludes  to  three 
separate  times  in  which  God  revealed  unto  Daniel  all 
that  may  be  considered  a  prophecy  in  the  book  of  Dan- 
iel, which  vision  was  explained  to  Daniel  by  a  heavenly 
messenger,  called  Gabriel,  at  three  separate  times,  the 
last  of  which  closes  the  book  of  Daniel ;  which  last 
instruction  will  be  the  subject  of  a  future  lecture. 

Daniel's  first  vision  was  the  dream  which  Nebuchad- 
nezzar had,  and  which  troubled  him ;  but  when  he 
awoke,  the  dream  was  gone  from  him.  He  then  called 
for  the  magicians,  astrologers,  sorcerers,  and  wise  men 
of  Chaldea,  to  show  him  his  dream,  and  the  interpreta- 
tion thereof;  but  they  could  not.  The  king,  being 
angry,  commanded  that  all  the  wise  men  of  Babylon 
should  be  destroyed.  Then  Arioch,  the  captain  of  the 
king's  guard,  went  forth  to  execute  the  king's  decree ; 
and  among  the  rest  he  sought  for  Daniel  and  his  three 
friends,  young  captive  Jews,  to  execute  the  purpose  of 
king  Nebuchadnezzar  upon  them  also.  Daniel  then,  for 
the  first  time,  being  made  acquainted  with  the  decree, 
went  in  unto  the  king,  and  desired  time,  and  promised 
that  he  would  make  known  the  dream,  and  the  interpre- 
tation thereof.  Time  being  granted,  he  and  his  three 
Hebrew  friends  held  a  prayer-meeting,  (not  a  cold  and 
formal  one,  as  we  may  reasonably  suppose,)  for  their 


CHRIST'S    SECOND    COMING  43 

lives  and  the  lives  of  their  fellow-creatures  were  in 
danger.  They  cried  for  mercies  from  the  God  of  heaven. 
God  heard  and  answered  their  prayers,  and  revealed  to 
Daniel  the  dream  and  interpretation.  After  rendering 
suitable  thanksgiving,  Daniel  went  in  unto  the  king  and 
told  the  dream  and  visions  of  the  king.  "  As  for  thee,  O 
king,  thy  thoughts  came  into  thy  mind  upon  thy  bed, 
what  should  come  to  pass  hereafter ;  and  he  that  reveal- 
eth  secrets  maketh  known  to  thee  what  should  come  to 
pass  ;  but  as  for  me,  this  secret  is  not  revealed  to  me  for 
any  wisdom  that  1  have  more  than  any  living,  but  for 
the  intent  that  the  interpretation  may  be  made  known 
to  the  king,  and  that  thou  mightest  know  the  thoughts 
of  thy  heart.  Thou,  O  king,  sawest,  and  behold,  a  great 
image.  This  great  image,  whose  brightness  was  ex- 
cellent, stood  before  thee,  and  the  form  thereof  was 
terrible.  This  image's  head  was  of  fine  gold,  his  breast 
and  his  arms  of  silver,  his  belly  and  his  thighs  of  brass, 
his  legs  of  iron,  his  feet  part  of  iron  and  part  of  clay. 
Thou  sawest  till  that  a  stone  was  cut  out  without  hands, 
which  smote  the  image  upon  his  feet  that,  were  of  iron 
and  clay,  and  brake  them  to  pieces.  Then  was  the  iron, 
the  clay,  the  brass,  the  silver,  and  the  gold,  broken  to 
pieces  together,  and  became  like  the  chaff  of  the  sum- 
mer threshing-floors,  and  the  wind  carried  them  away, 
that  no  place  was  found  for  them ;  and  the  stone  that 
smote  the  image  became  a  great  mountain,  and  filled  the 
whole  earth,"  Daniel  ii.  29 — 35. 

This  was  the  dream,  and  the  interpretation  was  clear 
as  given  by  Daniel ;  and  the  history  of  the  worid  proves 
it  to  be  true,  a  large  share  having  already  been  fulfilled. 
All  that  remains  to  be  accomplished  is  for  the  stone  to 
smite  the  image  upon  his  feet,  and  to  become  a  great 
mountain,  and  fill  the  whole  earth.  "  The  head  of  gold  " 
represented  the  Chaldean  kingdom ;  "  the  breast  and 
arms  of  silver "  represented  the  Medes  and  Persians ; 
"  the  belly  and  thighs  of  brass,  which  were  to  bear  rule 
over  all  the  earth,"  the  Grecian.  Alexander,  a  Grecian 
king,  conquered  the  world  ;  the  legs  of  iron,  and  the  feet 
part  of  iron  and  part  of  clay,"  fitly  represent  the  Roman 
kingdom,  which  still  exists,  although  in  a  broken  state, 


44  LECTURE    III. 

like  iron  and  clay.  This  kingdom  has  been  divided  be- 
tween Pagan  Rome,  the  head  wounded  to  death,  and 
Papal  Rome,  the  deadly  wound  healed,  both  "  mixing 
themselves  with  the  seed  of  men,"  that  is,  uniting  church 
and  state,  ecclesiastical  and  civil,  in  the  government. 
The  stone  denotes  Christ,  the  God  of  heaven ;  and  the 
mountain  the  kingdom  of  God.  His  breaking  the  image 
to  pieces,  shows  that  all  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  are 
to  be  utterly  destroyed  and  carried  away,  so  that  no 
place  can  be  found  for  them.  And  the  kingdom  of  God 
filling  the  whole  earth  teaches  us  that  the  beloved  city, 
the  New  Jerusalem,  will  fill  the  world,  and  God  will 
dwell  with  his  people  on  the  earth.  Read  Dan.  ii.  37 — 
45.  This  dream  was  in  the  second  year  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's reign,  603  B.  C.  Forty-eight  years  afterwards, 
in  the  first  year  of  Belshazzar's  reign  and  555  B.  C, 
Daniel  had  another  dream,  yet  the  same  in  substance. 
"  Daniel  spake  and  said,  I  saw  in  my  vision  by  night,  and 
behold,  the  four  winds  of  heaven  strove  upon  the  great 
sea,  and  four  great  beasts  came  up  from  the  sea,  diverse 
one  from  another.  The  first  was  like  a  lion,  and  had  ea- 
gles' wings  ;  I  beheld  till  the  wings  thereof  were  plucked, 
and  it  was  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  and  made  to  stand 
upon  the  feet  as  a  man,  and  a  man's  heart  was  given  to 
it.  And  behold,  another  beast,  a  second,  like  unto  a 
bear,  and  it  raised  up  itself  on  one  side,  and  it  had  three 
ribs  in  the  mouth  of  it  between  the  teeth  of  it ;  and  they 
said  thus  unto  it,  Arise,  devour  much  flesh.  After  this  1 
beheld,  and  lo,  another  like  a  leopard,  which  had  upon 
the  back  of  it  four  wings  of  a  fowl ;  the  beast  had  also 
four  heads,  and  dominion  was  given  to  it.  After  this  I 
saw  in  the  night  visions,  and  behold,  a  fourth  beast, 
dreadful,  and  terrible,  and  strong  exceedingly,  and  it  had 
great  iron  teeth  ;  it  devoured  and  brake  in  pieces,  and 
stamped  the  residue  with  the  feet  of  it ;  and  it  was  di- 
verse from  all  the  beasts  that  were  before  it,  and  it  had 
ten  horns.  I  considered  the  horns,  and  behold,  there 
came  up  among  them  another  little  horn,  before  whom 
there  were  three  of  the  first  horns  plucked  up  by  the 
roots  ;  and  behold,  in  this  horn  were  eyes  like  the  eyes 
of  man,  and  a  mouth  speaking  great  things.    I  beheld 


Christ's  second  coming.  45 

till  the  thrones  were  cast  down,  and  the  Ancient  of  days 
did  sit,  whose  garment  was  white  as  snow,  and  the  hair 
of  his  head  like  the  pure  wool ;  his  throne  was  like  the 
fiery  flame,  and  his  wheels  as  burning-  fire.  A  fiery 
stream  issued  and  came  forth  from  before  him;  thousand 
thousands  ministered  unto  him,  and  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand  stood  before  him:  the  judgment  was  set, 
and  the  books  were  opened  I  beheld,  then,  because  of 
the  voice  of  the  great  words  which  the  horn  spake.  I 
beheld,  even  till  the  beast  was  slain,  and  his  body  de- 
stroyed and  given  to  the  burning  flame.  As  concerning 
the  rest  of  the  beasts,  they  had  their  dominion  taken 
away,  yet  their  lives  were  prolonged  for  a  season  and 
time.  I  saw  in  the  night  visions,  and  behold,  one  like 
the  Son  of  Man  came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and 
came  to  the  Ancient  of  days,  and  they  brought  him  near 
before  him.  And  there  was  given  him  dominion  and  glo- 
ry, and  a  kingdom,  that  all  people,  nations,  and  languages 
should  serve  him;  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting  do- 
minion, which  shall  not  pass  away,  and  his  kingdom 
that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed,"  Daniel  vii.  1 — 14. 
This  ends  Daniel's  night  vision,  except  the  instruction 
he  received  from  some  one  standing  by.  "  So  he  told 
me,  and  made  me  know  'the  truth  of  all  this,'  or  the 
interpretation  of  the  things.  These  great  beasts,  which 
are  four,  are  four  kings  which  shall  arise  out  of  the 
earth.  But  the  saints  of  the  most  high  shall  take  the 
kingdom,  and  possess  the  kingdom  forever,  even  forever 
and  ever."  We  see  in  this  instruction  that  this  vision 
and  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  agree  in  the  most  prom- 
inent parts ;  the  four  beasts  representing  the  four  king- 
doms, and  the  saints  possessing  the  kingdom,  the  same 
as  the  stone  becoming  a  great  mountain  and  filling  the 
whole  earth ;  "  forever  and  ever"  shows  us  that  it  is  an 
immortal  state  in  everlasting  life  ;  "the  saints"  evidently 
includes  all  saints,  "  for  they  shall  live  and  reign  with 
him  on  the  earth,"  Revelation  v.  10,  20.  iv.  6.  "  Then," 
Daniel  says,  vii.  19,  20,  "  I  would  know  the  truth  of  the 
fourth  beast,  which  was  diverse  from  all  the  others, 
exceeding  dreadful,  whose  teeth  were  of  iron,  and  his 
nails  of  brass,  which  devoured,  brake  in  pieces,  and 


46  LECTURE    III. 

stamped  the  residue  with  his  feet;  and  of  the  ten  horns 
that  were  in  his  head,  and  of  the  other  which  came  up, 
and  before  whom  three  fell,  even  of  that  horn  that  had 
eyes,  and  a  mouth  that  spake  very  great  things,  wnose 
look  was  more  stout  than  his  fellows." 

In  these  verses  we  learn  that  the  fourth  beast  would 
be  diverse  from  the  others.  This  was  true  with  Rome ; 
that  kingdom  first  rose  from  a  small  colony  of  adven- 
turers settled  in  Italy.  Rome,  also,  had  seven  different 
forms  of  government,  while  the  others  had  but  one. 
We  learn  that  this  kingdom  would  devour,  break  in 
pieces,  harass  and  perplex  the  people  of  God,  whether 
Jew  or  Gentile  ;  that  it  would  be  divided  into  ten  king- 
doms, and  afterwards  there  would  arise  another  power 
which  would  swallow  up  three  of  the  ten  kingdoms. 
This  was  all  true  with  the  Roman  government.  In  A.  D. 
476,  the  Western  Empire  fell,  and  was  divided  into  ten 
kingdoms  by  the  Goths,  Huns,  and  Vandals,  —  "France, 
Britain,  Spain,  Portugal,  Naples,  Tuscany,  Austria, 
Lombardy,  Rome,  and  Ravenna.  The  three  last  were 
absorbed  in  the  territory  of  Rome,"  (E.  Irwin,)  and  be- 
came the  States  of  the  Church,  governed  by  the  Papal 
chair,  the  little  horn  that  had  eyes  and  a  mouth  that 
spake  very  great  things,  whose  look  was  more  stout  than 
his  fellows.  This  description  cannot  apply  to  any  other 
power  but  the  church  of  Rome.  "Had  eyes,"  showing 
that  they  made  pretence  at  least  to  be  the  household 
of  faith;  "eyes"  meaning  faith,  and  "mouth  that  spake 
very  great  things,"  showing  that  the  church  would  claim 
infallibility;  "whose  look  would  be  more  stout  than  his 
fellows,"  showing  that  he  would  claim  authority  over  all 
other  churches,  or  even  the  kings,  the  other  horns.  See 
Rev.  xvii.  18 :  "  And  the  woman  which  thou  sawest  is 
that  great  city  which  reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the 
earth."  That  the  little  horn  is  a  part  of  the  fourth 
kingdom  is  evident,  for  it  was  to  come  up  among  the  ten 
horns  which  were  upon  the  head  of  the  beast ;  and  there 
cannot  be  a  shadow  of  a  doubt,  even  in  Scripture  itself. 
but  that  Rome  is  meant  by  this  fourth  beast;  for  wha 
power  but  the  Roman  will  answer  the  description  here 
end  elsewhere  given  in  Daniel  ?    "I  beheld,  and  the 


Christ's  second  coming.  47 

same  horn  made   war  with  the  saints,  and  prevailed 
against  them,  until  the  Ancient  of  days  came,  and  judg- 
ment was  given  to  the  saints  of  the  Most  High  j  and  the 
time   came   that  the    saints   possessed  the   kingdom." 
Daniel  vii.  21,  22.     In  these  verses  we  are  taught  clearly 
that  anti-Christ  will  prevail  over  the  church  of  Christ 
until  the  first  resurrection  and  the  first  judgment,  when 
the  saints  are  raised  and  judged,  which  utterly  destroys 
the  modern  idea  of  a  temporal  millennium,  a  thousand 
years  before  the  dead  are  raised  and  judged.     This  also 
agrees  with  the  whole  tenor  of  Scripture  ;  as,  "judgment 
must  first  begin  at  the  house  of  God,"  and  "  whom  he 
shall  destroy  with  the  brightness  of  his  coming;"  when 
the  Ancient  of  days  shall  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
with  power  and  great  glory,  "  to  give  reward  to  his  ser- 
vants, the  prophets,  and  them  that  fear  his  name,  small 
and   great,  and   destroy  them  who   destroy  the  earth," 
described  next  verse,  23.     "  Thus  he  said,  The  fourth 
beast  shall  be  the  fourth  kingdom  upon  earth,  which 
shall  be  diverse  from'  all  kingdoms,  and  shall  devour  the 
whole  earth,  and  shall  tread  it   down   and  break  it  in 
pieces.     And  the  ten  horns  out  of  this  kingdom  are  ten 
kings  that  shall  arise  ;  and  another  shall  arise  after  them, 
and  he  shall  be  diverse  from  the  first,  and  he  shall  sub- 
due  three   kings.      And  lie   shall   speak   great  words 
against  the  Most  High,  and  shall  wear  out  the  saints  of 
the  Most  High,  and  think  to  change  times  and- laws  ;  and 
they  shall  be  given  into  his  hand  until  a  time  and  times,, 
and  the  dividing  of  time.     But  the  judgment  shall  sit, 
and  they  shall  take  away  his  dominion  to-  consume  and 
to  destroy  it  unto  the  end,"  24 — 26.     In  these  verses 
we  have  the  history  of  the  fourth  beast,  or  Roman  power, 
during  1260  years  of  the  close  of  this  kingdom,  which  1 
shall,  in  some  future  lecture,  show  is  the  meaning  of 
time,  times,  and  a  half.     We  have  also  another  clear  de- 
scription of  the  Papal  power:   "He  shall  speak   great 
words,"  &c.  —  the  blasphemies  against  God,  in  the  pre- 
tensions  of  the  Roman  clergy  to  divine  power,  work- 
ing of  miracles,  canonizing  departed  votaries,  changing 
ordinances  and  laws  of  God's  house,  worshipping  saints 
and  images,  and  performing  rites  and  ceremonies  too 


48  LECTURE    III. 

foolish  and  ridiculous  to  be  for  a  moment  indulged  in, 
and  which  any  unprejudiced  mind  cannot  for  a  moment 
believe  to  be  warranted  by  divine  rule,  or  example  of 
Christ  or  his  apostles.  And  we  are  again  brought  down 
to  the  time  when  the  judgment  shall  sit:  "And  the 
kingdom,  and  the  dominion,  and  the  greatness  of  the 
kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven,  shall  be  given  to  the 
people  of  the  Most  High,  whose  kingdom  is  an  everlast- 
ing kingdom,  (not  temporal,  as  some  say,  or  a  thousand 
years,  but  an  immortal  and  eternal,)  and  all  dominions 
shall  serve  and  obey  him."  It  is  very  evident  that  this 
verse  brings  us  down  to  the  time  when  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  will  be  complete  "in  the  greatness  of  the  king- 
dom." Every  word  in  Scripture  has  a  meaning,  and  its 
own  proper  meaning,  unless  used  figuratively,  and  then 
explained  by  Scripture  itself.  "Hitherto  is  the  end  of 
the  matter.  As  for  me  Daniel,  my  cogitations  mucfe. 
troubled  me,  and  my  countenance  changed  in  me ;  but  . 
kept  the  matter  in  my  heart" 

This  ends  Daniel's  night  vision.  Two  years  after- 
wards, in  the  year  553  before  Christ,  Daniel  vii.,  he  had 
another  vision  in  the  day-time,  at  the  palace  of  Shushan, 
like  the  one  which  we  have  just  described,  and  Nebu- 
chadnezzar's dream. 

"  Then  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes  and  saw,  and  behold, 
there  stood  before  the  river  a  ram  which  had  two  horns, 
and  the  two  horns  were  high ;  but  one  was  higher  than 
the  other,  and  the  higher  came  up  last  I  saw  the  ram 
pushing  westward,  and  northward,  and  southward,  so  that 
no  beast  might  stand  before  him,  neither  was  there  any 
that  could  deliver  out  of  his  hand;  but  he  did  according 
to  his  will,  and  became  great."  In  the  20th  verse,  the 
angel  Gabriel  explains  to  Daniel  what  kingdom  was  rep- 
resented by  the  "  ram  with  two  horns,"  and  says,  "  The 
ram  which  thou  sawest,  having  two  horns,  are  the  kings  i> 
Media  and  Persia."  We  see  by  this  that  the  Chaldean 
kingdom  is  left  out,  for  the  reason  that  that  kingdom  was 
then  crumbling  to  ruin,  and  the  glory  of  the  Babylonish 
kingdom  had  faded  :  therefore  he  now  begins  his  vision 
with  the  Mede  and  Persian  kingdom,  and  that,  too,  when 
at  the  height  of  their  power  and  conquests.    The  higher 


Christ's  second  coming.  49 

horn  denoted  the  Persian  line  of  kings,  under  and  follow- 
ing- the  reign  of  Cyrus,  the  Persian,  son-in-law  to  Darius 
the  Mede.     "  And  as  I  was  considering,  behold,  a  he- 
goat  came  from  the  west,  on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth, 
and  touched  not  the  ground ;  and  the  goat  had  a  nota- 
ble horn  between  his  eyes."     In  the  21st  verse  the  an- 
gel says,  "And  the  rough  goat  is  the  king  of  Grecia : 
and  the  great  horn  that  is  between  his  eyes  is  the  first 
king."     This  king  was  Alexander,  that  conquered  the 
Persians.     He  was  not  the  first  king  of  Macedonia,  but 
the  first  that  had  all  Grecia  under  his  control,  and  that 
conquered  the  world.     "  And  he  came  to  the  ram  that 
had  two  horns,  which  I  had  seen  standing  before  the 
river,  and  ran  unto  him  in  the  fury  of  his  power.     And 
I  saw  him  come  close  unto  the  ram,  and  he  was  moved 
with  choler  against  him,  and  smote  the  ram,  and  brake 
his  two  horns  ;   and  there  was  no  power  in  the  ram  to 
stand  before  him,  but  he  cast  him  down  to  the  ground, 
and  stamped  upon  him,  and  there  was  none  that  could 
deliver  the  ram  out  of  his  hand.     Therefore  the  he-goat 
waxed  very  great ;  and  when  he  was  strong,  the  great 
horn  was  broken,  and  for  it  came  up  four  notable  ones, 
towards  the  four  winds  of  heaven."     We  have  in  these 
verses  a  plain  description  of  Alexander's  life,  conquests, 
death,  and  division  of  his  kingdom  into  four  parts,  to- 
wards the  four  points  of  heaven — Persia  in  the  east,  Syria 
in  the  north,  Macedon  and  Europe  in  the  west,  Egypt 
and  Africa  in  the  south.     And  the  angel,  when  he  gives 
Daniel  instruction,  says,  22d  verse,  "Now  that  being 
broken,  whereas  four  stood  up  for  it,  four  kingdoms  shall 
stand  up  out  of  the  nation,  but  not  in  his  power."     Then 
the  vision  seems  to  slide  down  to  the  little  horn.     "And 
out  of  one  of  them  (that  is,  out  of  Europe)  came  forth  a  lit- 
tle horn,  which  waxed  exceeding  great,  toward  the  south, 
and  toward  the  east,  and  toward  the  pleasant  land.     And 
it  waxed  great  even  to  the  host  of  heaven ;  and  it  cast 
down  some  of  the  host  and  of  the  stars  to  the  ground, 
and  stamped  upon  them.     Yea,  he  magnified  himself 
even  to  the  prince  of  the  host,  and  by  him  the  daily  sac- 
rifice was  taken  away,  and  the  place  of  his  sanctuary 
was  cast  down,  and  a  host  was  given  him  against  the 


50  LECTURE    III. 

daily  sacrifice  by  reason  of  transgression,  and  it  cast 
down  the  truth  to  the  ground,  and  it  practised  and  pros- 
pered." Two  or  three  things  in  the  above  description 
clearly  show  that,  by  the  little  horn,  in  this  passage,  we 
are  to  understand  the  Roman  power,  viz.,  Its  conquering 
to  the  south,  and  east,  and  pleasant  lands,  stamping  on 
the  host,  magnifying  himself  against  Christ,  and  destroy- 
ing Jerusalem,  the  place  of  his  sanctuary,  and  his  prac- 
tising and  prospering.  All  this  description  agrees  with 
the  history  of  Rome,  and  cannot  apply  to  Antiochus,  as 
some  writers  have  supposed.  But  let  us  see  what  Ga- 
briel says,  23:  "And  in  the  latter  time  of  their  kingdom, 
(that  is,  the  four  kingdoms,)  when  the  transgressors  are 
come  to  the  full,  a  king  of  fierce  countenance,  and  under- 
standing dark  sentences,  shall  stand  up,  and  his  power 
shall  be  mighty,  but  not  by  his  own  power ;  and  he  shall 
destroy  wonderfully,  and  shall  prosper  and  practise, 
and  shall  destroy  the  mighty  and  the  holy  people.  And 
through  his  policy,  also,  he  shall  cause  craft  to  prosper  in 
his  hand ;  and  he  shall  magnify  himself  in  his  heart,  and 
by  peace  shall  destroy  many;  he  shall  also  stand  up 
against  the  Prince  of  princes;  but  he  shall  be  broken 
without  hand.  And  the  vision  of  the  evening  (in  the  first 
year  of  Belshazzar,  Daniel  vii.)  and  the  morning  (in  the 
third  year  of  Belshazzar,  Daniel  viii.)  which  was  told,  is 
true ;  wherefore  shut  thou  up  the  vision,  for  it  shall  be 
for  many  days."  How  many  days?  Our  text  answers, 
"  Unto  two  thousand  three  hundred  days  ;  then  shall  the 
sanctuary  be  cleansed.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  I, 
even  I,  Daniel,  had  seen  the  vision,  and  sought  for  the 
meaning,  then,  behold,  there  stood  before  me  as  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  man.  And  I  heard  a  man's  voice  between 
the  banks  of  Ulai,  which  called  and  said,  Gabriel,  make 
this  man  to  understand  the  vision.  So  he  came  near 
where  1  stood,  and  when  he  came,  I  was  afraid,  and  fell 
upon  my  face ;  but  he  said  unto  me,  Understand,  O  son 
of  man,  for  at  the  time  of  the  end  shall  be  the  vision. 
Now,  as  he  was  speaking  with  me,  I  was  in  a  deep  sleep 
on  my  face  toward  the  ground ;  but  he  touched  me,  and 
set  me  upright.  And  he  said,  behold,  I  will  make  thee 
know  what  shall  be  in  the  last  end  of  the  indignation ; 
for  at  the  time  appointed  the  end  shall  be." 


Christ's  second  coming.  51 

Then  comes  the  instruction  of  Gabriel,  which  we  have 
before  given. 

III.    Tlve  time  or  length  of  the  vision  —  the  2,300  days. 

What  must  we  understand  by  days'?  In  the  prophecy 
of  Daniel  it  is  invariably  to  be  reckoned  years  ;  for  God 
hath  so  ordered  the  prophets  to  reckon  days.  Numb, 
xiv.  34,  "  After  the  number  of  days  in  which  ye  searched 
the  land,  even  forty  days,  each  day  for  a  year,  shall  you 
bear  your  iniquities,  even  forty  years."  Ezek.  iv.  5, 6, "  For 
I  have  laid  upon  thee  the  years  of  their  iniquity,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  days,  three  hundred  and  ninety 
days ;  so  shalt  thou  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  house  of  Is- 
rael. And  when  thou  hast  accomplished  them,  lie  again 
on  thy  right  side,  and  thou  shalt  bear  the  iniquity  of  the 
house  of  Judah  forty  days;  I  have  appointed  thee  each 
day  for  a  year."  In  these  passages  we  prove  the  com- 
mand of  God.  We  will  also  show  that  it  was  so  called 
in  the  days  of  Jacob,  when  he  served  for  Rachel,  Gen. 
xxix.  27:  "Fulfil  her  week  (seven  days)  and  we  will  give 
thee  this  also,  for  the  service  which  thou  shalt  serve  with 
me  yet  other  seven  years." 

Nothing  now  remains  to  make  it  certain  that  our  vis- 
ion is  to  be  so  understood,  but  to  prove  that  Daniel  has 
followed  this  rule.  This  we  will  do,  if  your  patience 
will  hold  out,  and  God  permit 

Now  turn  your  attention  to  the  ninth  chapter  of  Dan- 
iel, and  you  will  there  learn  that  fifteen  years  after  Dan- 
iel had  his  last  vision,  and  sixty-five  years  after  Daniel 
explained  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream,  and  538  years  B.  C, 
Daniel  set  his  face  unto  the  Lord  God  by  supplication  and 
prayer ;  and  by  confession  of  his  own  sins,  and  the  sins 
of  the  people  of  Israel,  he  sought  God  for  mercy,  for  him- 
self and  all  Israel.  And  while  he  was  speaking  and 
praying,  as  he  tells  us,  Daniel  ix.  21,  "  Yea,  while  I  was 
speaking  in  prayer,  even  the  man  Gabriel,  Avhom  I  had 
seen  in  the  vision  at  the  beginning,  Daniel  viii.  16,  17, 
being  caused  to  fly  swiftly,  touched  me  about  the  time 
of  the  evening  oblation.  And  he  informed  me  and  talked 
with  me,  and  said,  O  Daniel,  1  am  now  come  forth  to  give 
thee  skill  and  understanding.  At  the  beginning  of  thy 
supplication  the  commandment  came  forth,  and  I  am 


52  LECTURE    III. 

come  to  show  thee  ;  for  thou  art  greatly  beloved  ;  there* 
fore  understand  the  matter,  and  consider  the  vision* 
Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  people,  and 
upon  thy  holy  city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to 
make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for  ini- 
quity, and  to  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness,  and  to 
seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint  the  Most 
Holy.  Know,  therefore,  and  understand,  that  from  the 
going  forth  of  the  commandment  to  restore  and  build 
Jerusalem  unto  the  Messiah,  the  Prince,  shall  be  seven 
weeks,  and  threescore  and  two  weeks;  the  street  shall 
be  built  again,  and  the  wall,  even  in  troublous  times. 
And  after  threescore  and  two  weeks  shall  Messiah  be 
cut  off,  but  not  for  himself;  and  the  people  of  the  Prince 
that  shall  come  shall  destroy  the  city  and  the  sanctuary ; 
and  the  end  thereof  shall  be  with  a  flood,  and  unto  the 
end  of  the  war  desolations  are  determined.  And  he  shall 
confirm  the  covenant  with  many  for  one  week;  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  week,  (or  last  half,  as  it  might  have 
been  rendered,)  he  shall  cause  the  sacrifice  and  the  ob- 
lation to  cease,  and  for  the  overspreading  of  abomination, 
he  shall  make  it  desolate,  even  until  the  consummation, 
and  that  determined  shall  be  poured  upon  the  desolate." 
What  do  we  learn  from  the  above  passage  ?  We 
learn  our  duty  in  prayer,  and  God's  goodness  in  an- 
swering. We  learn  that  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  to 
instruct  Daniel,  and  make  him  understand  the  vision. 
You  may  inquire  what  vision  ?  I  answer,  The  one  Dan- 
iel had  in  the  beginning,  for  he  has  had  no  other.  We 
also  learn  that  seventy  weeks,  which  is  490  days,  (or 
years,  as  we  shall  show,)  from  the  going  forth  of  a  certain 
decree  to  build  the  streets  and  walls  of  Jerusalem  in 
troublous  times,  to  the  crucifixion  of  the  Messiah  should 
be  accomplished.  We  also  learn  that  this  seventy 
weeks  is  divided  into  three  parts ;  seven  weeks  being 
employed  in  building  the  streets  and  walls  in  troublous 
times,  which  is  forty-nine  years,  sixty-two  weeks,  or 
four  hundred  and  thirty-four  years  to  the  preaching  of 
John  in  the  wilderness,  which  two,  put  together,  make 
sixty-nine  weeks,  or  four  hundred  and  eighty-three 
years,  and  one  week  the  gospel  was  preached ;  John 


Christ's  second  coming.  53 

three  and  a  half  years,  and  Christ  three  and  a  half 
years,  which  makes  the  seventy  weeks,  or  four  hundred 
and  ninety  years  ;  which,  when  accomplished,  would  seal 
up  the  vision,  and  make  the  prophecy  true.  We  also 
learn  that,  after  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  the  Romans 
would  come  and  destroy  the  city  and  sanctuary,  and 
that  wars  will  not  cease  until  the  consummation  or  end 
of  the  world.  "All  that  may  be  true,"  says  the  objector; 
"but  where  have  you  proved  that  the  seventy  weeks 
were  four  hundred  and  ninety  years  ?  "  I  agree  I  have 
not  yet  proved  it,  but  will  now  do  it. 

We  shall  again  turn  your  attention  to  the  Bible. 
Look  at  Ezra  vii.  11 — 13  :  "Now  this  is  the  copy  of  the 
letter  that  the  king-,  Artaxerxes,  gave  unto  Ezra,  the 
priest,  the  scribe,  a  scribe  of  the  law  of  God :  perfect 
peace,  and  at  such  a  time.  I  make  a  decree  that  all  they 
of  the  people  of  Israel,  and  of  his  priests  and  Levites 
in  my  realm,  which  are  minded  of  their  own  free  will 
to  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  go  with  thee."  This  is  the 
decree  given  when  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  were  built  in 
troublous  times.  See,  also,  Neh.  iv.  17 — 23.  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah  being  contemporary,  see  Neh.  viii.  1.  The 
decree  to  Ezra  was  given  in  the  seventh  year  of  Ar- 
taxerxes' reign,  Ezra  vii.  7,  and  that  to  Nehemiah  in  the 
twentieth  year,  Neh.  ii.  1.  Let  any  one  examine  the 
chronology,  as  given  by  Rollin  or  Josephus,  from  the 
seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes  to  the  twenty-second  year 
of  Tiberius  Cesar,  which  was  the  year  our  Lord 
was  crucified,  and  he  will  find  it  was  four  hun- 
dred and  ninety  years.  The  Bible  chronology  says 
that  Ezra  started  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  on  the  12th 
day  of  the  first  month,  (see  Ezra  viii.  31,)  457  years 
before  the  birth  of  Christ ;  he  being  33  when  he  died, 
added  to  457,  will  make  490  years.  Three  of  the 
evangelists  tell  us  he  was  betrayed  two  days  before  the 
feast  of  the  passover,  and  of  course  was  the  same  day 
crucified.  The  passover  was  always  kept  on  the  14th 
day  of  the  fi*st  month  forever,  and  Christ  being  crucified 
two  day3  before,  would  make  it  on  the  12th  day,  490 
years  from  the  time  Ezra  left  the  river  Ahava  to  go 
unto  Jerusalem. 

5* 


54  LECTURE     III. 

If  this  calculation  is  correct,  —  and  I  think  no  one 
can  doubt  it,  —  then  the  seventy  weeks  was  fulfilled  to  a 
day  when  our  Savior  suffered  on  the  cross.  Is  not  the 
seventy  weeks  fairly  proved  to  have  been  fulfilled  by 
years  ?  And  does  not  this  prove  that  our  vision  and  the 
2300  days  ought  to  be  so  reckoned  ?  Yes,  if  these  seventy 
weeks  are  a  part  of  the  vision.  Does  not  the  angel  say 
plainly,  I  have  come  to  show  thee ;  therefore  understand 
the  matter,  and  consider  the  vision  ?  Yes.  Well,  what 
can  a  man  ask  for  more  than  plain  positive  testimony, 
and  a  cloud  of  circumstances  agreeing  with  it  ? 

But  one  thing  still  remains  to  be  proved.  When  did 
the  2300  years  begin  ?  Did  it  begin  with  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's dream  ?  No.  For  if  it  had,  it  must  have  been 
fulfilled  in  the  year  A.  D.  1697.  Well,  then,  did  it  be- 
gin when  the  angel  Gabriel  came  to  instruct  Daniel 
into  the  70  weeks  ?  No,  for  if  then,  it  would  have 
been  finished  in  the  year  A.  D.  1762.  Let  us  begin  it 
where  the  angel  told  us,  from  the  going  forth  of  the 
decree  to  build  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  in  troublous 
times,  457  years  before  Christ ;  take  457  from  2300,  and 
it  will  leave  A.  D.  1843 ;  or  take  70  weeks  of  years, 
being  490  years,  from  2300  years,  and  it  will  leave  1810 
after  Christ's  death.  Add  his  life,  (because  we  begin 
to  reckon  our  time  at  his  birth,)  which  is  33  years,  and 
we  come  to  the  same  A.  D.  1843. 

Now  let  us  examine  our  subject,  and  see  what  we 
^have  learned  by  it  thus  far.     And, 

I.  We  learn  that  there  are  two  abominations  spoken 
of  by  Daniel.  The  first  is  the  Pagan  mode  of  worship, 
which  was  performed  by  the  sacrificing  of  beasts  upon 
altars,  similar  to  the  Jewish  rites,  and  by  which  means 
the  nations  around  Jerusalem  drew  away  many  of  the 
Jews  into  idolatry,  and  brought  down  the  heavy  judg- 
ments of  God  upon  idolatrous  Israel ;  and  God  permit- 
ted his  people  to  be  led  into  captivity,  and  persecuted  by 
the  very  nations  that  they,  the  Jews,  had  been  so  fond  of 
copying  after  in  their  mode  of  worship.  Therefore  were 
the  sanctuary  and  place  of  worship  at  Jerusalem  trod- 
den down  by  Pagan  worshippers  ;  and  the  altars,  erected 
by  the  command  of  God,  and  according  to  the  pattern 


Christ's  second  coming.  55 

and  form  which  God  had  prescribed,  were  broken  down 
and  more  fashionable  altars  of  the  heathen  erected  in 
their  room.  Thus  were  the  commands  of  God  diso- 
beyed, his  laws  perverted,  his  people  enslaved,  the 
sanctuary  trodden  down,  and  the  temple  polluted,  until 
at  last  God  took  away  the  Jewish  rites  and  ceremonies, 
instituted  new  forms,  new  laws,  and  set  up  the  gospel 
kingdom  in  the  world. 

This,  for  a  season,  was  kept  pure  from  the  worldly 
sanctuaries  and  policy  of  Satan.  But  Satan,  an  arch 
enemy,  found  his  Pagan  abominations  could  have  but 
little  or  no  effect  to  draw  the  followers  of  Christ  into 
idolatry,  for  they  believed  the  bloody  rites  and  sac- 
rifices had  their  fulfilment  in  Christ.  Therefore,  in 
order  to  carry  the  war  into  the  Christian  camp,  he  suffers 
the  daily  sacrifice  abomination  to  be  taken  out  of  the 
way,  and  sets  up  Papacy,  which  is  more  congenial  to 
the  Christian  mode  of  worship  in  its  outside  forms  and 
ceremonies,  but  retaining  all  the  hateful  qualities  of 
the  former.  He  persuades  them  to  erect  images  to 
some  or  all  of  the  dear  apostles ;  and  even  to  Christ, 
and  Mary,  the  "  Mother  of  God."  He  then  flatters  them 
that  the  church  is  infallible.  (Here  was  a  strong  cord 
by  which  he  could  punish  all  disputers.)  He  likewise 
gives  them  the  keys  of  heaven,  (or  Peter,  as  they  call 
it.)  This  will  secure  all  authority.  He  then  clothes 
them  with  power  to  make  laws,  and  to  dispense  with 
those  which  God  had  made.  This  capped  the  climax. 
In  this  he  would  fasten  many  thousands  who  might 
protest  against  some  of  his  more  vile  abominations  ;  yet 
habit  and  custom  might  secure  them  to  a  willing  obe- 
dience to  his  laws,  and  to  a  total  neglect  of  the  laws  of 
God.  This  was  Satan's  masterpiece  ;  and,  as  Daniel  says, 
"  he  would  think  to  change  times  and  laws,  and  they  should 
be  given  into  his  hand  for  a  time,  times,  and  a  half;  but 
they  shall  take  away  his  dominion  to  consume  and  de- 
stroy it  unto  the  end."  Therefore,  when  this  last  abom- 
ination of  desolation  shall  be  taken  away,  then  shall  the 
sanctuary  be  cleansed. 

II.  We  learn  that  the  vision  which  Daniel  saw  was 
revealed  at  three  separate  times  —  1st.  In  Nebuchad- 


56  LECTURE    III. 

nezzar's  dream,  which  carried  us  down  through  four 
great  kingdoms,  until  they  should  all  be  swept  away 
like  the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing-floor  before  the 
wind,  and  no  place  found  for  them,  and  the  glorious  and 
everlasting  kingdom  of  Christ  fill  the  whole  earth.  The 
next  vision  Daniel  saw  was  similar  to  this ;  he  saw  four 
great  beasts,  representing  four  great  kingdoms,  as  before 
and  he  saw  the  fourth  beast  to  be  diverse  from  all  the 
others,  dreadful  and  terrible,  and  exceedingly  strong ; 
he  had  great  iron  teeth,  and  nails  of  brass,  which  de- 
voured, brake  in  pieces,  and  stamped  the  people  of  God 
and  the  whole  earth  under  foot.  This  beast  contained 
the  two  abominations  which  we  have  before  spoken  of; 
the  last,  under  the  figure  of  a  little  horn,  he  saw  until  all 
these  thrones  were  cast  down,  till  the  little  horn  was 
destroyed,  and  his  body  given  to  the  burning  flame. 
Daniel  saw  until  the  Ancient  of  days  did  sit.  The  Son 
of  Man  came  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  came  to  the 
Ancient  of  days.  He  saw  thousand  thousands  minis- 
tering unto  him,  and  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand 
stood  before  him  ;  the  judgment  was  set,  and  the  books 
were  opened.  He  saw  the  dominion,  and  glory,  and  king- 
dom given  to  the  Son  of  Man,  and  to  the  people  of  the 
saints  of  the  Most  High,  whose  kingdom  is  an  everlast- 
ing kingdom.  In  the  third  vision,  which  Daniel  has 
coupled  with  the  former,  by  saying  that  it  was  after  (or 
like)  the  one  which  appeared  unto  him  at  the  first,  he 
saw  the  three  last  kingdoms  ;  gave  a  particular  description 
of  the  two  first,  even  naming  them  —  the  Medes  and 
Persians,  and  the  Grecian.  He  then  gives  a  short 
account  of  the  little  horn,  (having  given  a  more  general 
view  of  the  fourth  kingdom  in  the  other  vision,)  how  he 
would  cast  down  the  host  of  heaven,  and  the  stars,  and 
stamp  upon  them ;  also  that  he  would  magnify  himself 
against  the  Prince  of  the  host,  Jesus  Christ,  and  cast 
down  the  place  of  his  sanctuary,  and  practise  and 
prosper,  but  shall  be  broken  without  hands,  showing 
that  the  stone  cut  out  without  hand  should  break  him  to 
pieces.  Daniel,  then,  in  the  26th  verse,  couples  the 
two  visions,  the  one  in  the  evening,  7th  chapter,  and 
the  one  in  the  morning,  8th  chapter,  and  says,  "The 


Christ's  second  coming.  57 

vision  of  the  evening  and  morning,  which  was  told,  is 
true." 

III.  We  learn  that  this  vision  is  two  thousand  three 
hundred  days  long;  that  days  are  to  be  reckoned  years 
—  1st,  By  the  command  of  God  ;  2d,  By  the  example  of 
Jacob  ;  and  3d,  By  the  fulfilment  of  the  seventy  weeks 
of  this  vision,  at  the  crucifixion  of  the  Messiah.  We 
learn  by  the  instruction  of  Gabriel  that  the  seventy 
weeks  were  a  part  of  the  vision,  and  that  Daniel  was 
commanded  to  begin  the  seventy  weeks  at  the  going 
forth  of  the  decree,  to  build  the  streets  and  walls  of 
Jerusalem  in  troublous  times ;  that  this  decree,  given  to 
Ezra,  was  exactly  490  years,  to  a  day,  before  the  cruci- 
fixion of  Christ ;  and  that  there  is  no  account,  by  Bible 
or  any  historian,  that  there  was  ever  any  other  decree 
to  build  the  streets  or  walls  of  Jerusalem.  We  think 
the  proof  is  strong,  that  the  vision  of  Daniel  begins  457 
years  before  Christ;  take  which  from 2300,  leaves  1843, 
after  Christ,  when  the  vision  must  be  finished.  But  the 
objector  may  say,  "  Perhaps  your  vision  does  not  begin 
with  the  seventy  weeks."  Let  me  ask  two  or  three 
questions.  Does  not  the  angel  say  to  Daniel,  ix.  23, 
"  Therefore  understand  the  matter,  and  consider  the  vis- 
ion "  ?  "  Yes."  Does  not  the  angel  then  go  on  and  give 
his  instruction  concerning  the  seventy  weeks  ?  "  Yes." 
Do  you  believe  the  Bible  is  true  ?  "  We  do."  Then  if 
the  Bible  is  true,  Daniel's  70  weeks  are  a  part  of  the 
vision,  and  490  years  were  accomplished  when  the 
Mesiah  was  cut  off,  and  not  for  himself.  Then  1810 
years  afterwards  the  vision  is  completed  ;  and  we  now 
live  about  1803  years  after;  of  course  it  must  have 
begun  within  seven  years  of  that  date.  But  it  is  very 
reasonable  to  suppose  it  began  with  the  seventy  weeks ; 
for  the  angel  said  it  would  establish  the  vision,  that  is, 
make  it  sure ;  for  if  the  70  weeks  were  exactly  fulfilled 
at  the  death  of  Christ,  then  would  the  remainder  be  in 
1810  years  after,  which  would  be  fulfilled  A.  D.  1843, 
as  we  have  before  shown. 

And  now,  my  dear  hearer,  are  you  prepared  for  this 
great  and  important  event?  Are  you  ready  for  the 
judgment  to  set,  and  the  books  to  be  opened?   Let  this 


58  LECTUTE     III. 

subject  sink  deep  into  your  hearts ;  let  it  follow  you  to 
your  bed-chambers,  to  your  fields,  or  your  shops.  Not 
one  jot  or  tittle  of  the  word  of  God  shall  fail.  If  he 
has  spoken,  it  will  come,  however  inconsistent  it  may 
look  to  us.  Be  admonished,  then,  and  see  to  it  that  you 
are  prepared.  Compare  the  vision  with  the  history  of 
the  kingdom,  and  where  can  you  find  a  failure?  Not 
one.  Then,  surely,  here  is  evidence  strong  that  the  re- 
mainder will  be  accomplished  in  its  time,  and  that  time 
but  seven  years.  Think,  sinner,  how  good  God  is  to 
give  you  notice,  and  prove  it  a  thousand  fold.  Remem- 
ber the  old  world ;  they  thought  Noah  was  a  maniac ; 
but  the  flood  came,  and  they  were  reserved  in  chains 
of  darkness  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day.  Re- 
member the  cities  of  the  plain.  Lot  was  unto  them 
like  one  that  mocked  ;  but  the  same  day  God  rained  fire 
and  brimstone  upon  them,  and  they  are  suffering  the 
vengeance  of  eternal  fire.  Be  warned,  then ;  fly  to  the 
ark,  Christ  Jesus,  before  the  door  is  shut ;  escape  to  the 
mountain  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  before  the  Lord 
shall  rise  up  to  the  prey,  and  you  be  driven  away  in 
your  wickedness.    Amen. 


LECTURE    IV. 


DANIEL  ix.  24. 


Seventy  weeks  ore  determined  upon  thy  people,  and  upon  thy 
holy  city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  ana  to  make  an  end  of 
sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring-  in 
everlasting  righteousness,  and  to  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophe- 
cy, and  to  anoint  the  Most  Holy. 

Our  text  is  one  of  the  many  found  in  the  word  of 
God,  which  prove  the  authenticity  of  the  Scriptures, 
gives  us  a  powerful  weapon  against  Judaizing  teachers, 
and  meets  the  infidel  on  his  own  ground  — the  history  of 
the  world. 

It  sets  a  seal  to  prophecy  that  it  is  true,  and  shows 
that  the  prophets  were  inspired. 

It  gives  incontestable  evidence  against  the  Jew,  and 
proves  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the  true  Messiah. 

It  unlocks  the  wonderful  vision  of  Daniel's  four  king- 
doms ;  also  the  vision  of  the  ram,  the  he-goat,  and  the 
little  horn. 

It  brings  to  view  the  great  blessings  of  the  sacrifice 
of  Jesus  Christ,  reveals  the  exact  time  of  its  accom- 
plishment, and  shows  the  source  of  the  gospel,  pro- 
claiming good  news  to  lost  man,  even  in  anticipation  of 
that  important  era  when  the  Gentiles  should  be  fellow- 
heirs  with  the  Jews  in  faith. 

It  establishes  the  wavering,  and  gives  hope  and  con- 
fidence to  the  tried  and  tempted  child  of  God,  that  he 
will  fulfil  all  his  promises,  according  to  the  letter  and 
spirit  of  his  word. 

This  text  furnished  Simeon,  Anna,  Nathaniel,  and 


60  LECTURE    IV. 

others,  with  a  strong  faith  that  they  should  see  the  coil 
solation  of  Israel. 

By  this  text  the  high  priest  convinced  the  council 
of  the  necessity  of  putting  to  death  Jesus.  "  Then 
gathered  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  a  council, 
and  said,  What  do  we  ?  for  this  man  doth  many  mira- 
cles. If  we  let  him  thus  alone,  all  men  will  believe  on 
him ;  and  the  Romans  will  come,  and  take  away  both 
our  place  and  nation." 

"And  one  of  them,  named  Caiaphas,  being  high  priest 
that  same  year,  said  unto  them,  Ye  know  nothing  at  all, 
nor  consider  that  it  is  expedient  for  us  that  one  man 
should  die  for  the  people,  and  that  the  whole  nation  per- 
ish not.  And  this  spake  he  not  of  himself,  (not  his  own 
prophecy  ;)  but,  being  high  priest  that  year,  he  prophe- 
sied (from  Daniel's  seventy  weeks  ;  for  there  is  not 
another  prophecy  in  the  Old  Testament  which  shows 
what  year  Christ  should  suffer)  that  Jesus  should  die 
for  that  nation  ;  and  not  for  that  nation  only,  but  that, 
also,  he  should  gather  together  in  one  the  children  of 
God,  that  were  scattered  abroad,"  John  xi.  47 — 53. 

The  high  priest  argues  that  Jesus  must  die  for  the 
people. 

The  seventy  weeks  shows  that  the  Messiah  must  be 
cut  off  at  the  close  of  the  last  week,  and  not  for  himself. 
Also  Peter  had  occasion  to  say  in  his  epistle, "  Of  which 
salvation  the  prophets  have  inquired  and  searched  dili- 
gently, who  prophesied  of  the  grace  that  should  come 
unto  you,  searching  what,  or  what  manner  of  time,  the 
spirit  of  Christ,  which  was  in  them,  did  signify,  when  it 
testified  beforehand  the  sufferings  of  Christ  and  the 
glory  that  should  follow,"  1  Peter  i.  10,  11. 

Where  was  the  exact  time  of  Christ's  sufferings 
prophesied  of  but  in  Daniel's  seventy  weeks  ?  Again, 
to  this  Christ  alludes  when  he  says, "  My  time  is  not  yet 
fully  come  ;"  and,  "Then  they  sought  to  take  him,  but 
no  man  laid  hands  on  him,  because  his  hour  was  not  yet 
come : "  that  is,  the  seventy  weeks  were  not  yet  ful- 
filled, John  vii.  8,  30.  Mark  tells  us,  xiv.  41,  "The 
hour  is  come ;  behold,  the  Son  of  Man  is  betrayed 
into  the  hands  of  sinners." 


Christ's  second  coming.  61 

The  seventy  weeks  were  now  being1  fulfilled.  And 
then,  at  last,  when  Jesus  had  completed  his  work,  when 
the  fulness  of  time  had  come,  he  finished  transgression, 
and  made  an  end  of  sin :  he  then  cried,  "  It  is  finished, 
and  gave  up  the  ghost."  The  seventy  weeks  ended,  our 
text  was  fulfilled ;  Christ  had  now  become  the  end  of 
the  law  for  righteousness,  to  every  one  that  believeth ; 
he  that  knew  no  sin  had  become  sin  for  us,  and  Death 
had  struck  his  last  blow  that  he  would  ever  be  able  to 
give  the  Son  of  God.  Daniel's  vision  is  now  made 
sure  —  the  Messiah  cut  off,  the  time  proved  true,  as  given 
by  the  prophet  Daniel. 

Now,  ye  infidels,  can  this  be  priestcraft?  And,  ye 
Judaizing  teachers,  is  not  this  the  Christ  ?  Why  look 
ye  for  another  ? 

I  shall  now  take  up  the  text  in  the  following  manner : 

I.   I  shall  show  what  is  to  be  done  in  seventy  weeks. 

TI.  When  the  seventy  weeks  began,  and  when  they 
ended. 

I.  The  text  tells  us,  "  Seventy  /weeks  are  determined 
upon  thy  peoj)le  and  upon  thy  holy  city ; "  that  is,  upon 
the  Jews,  who  then  were  the  people  of  Daniel,  and  also 
in  Jerusalem,  which  then  was  called  the  "  holy  city." 
The  first  question  which  would  naturally  arise  on  the 
mind,  would  be,  What  for  to  do  ?  The  text  and  its  con- 
text must  tell  us. 

1st.  "  To  finish  the  transgression."  When  was  trans- 
gression finished  ?  1  answer,  At  the  death  of  Christ, 
See  Heb.  ix.  15,  "And  for  this  cause  he  is  the  Mediator 
of  the  new  testament,  that  by  means  of  death,  for  the 
redemption  of  the  transgressions  that  were  under  the 
first  testament,  they  which  are  called  might  receive  the 
promise  of  eternal  inheritance."  Isaiah  liii.  3,  "  For  he 
was  cut  off  out  of  the  land  of  the  living ;  for  the  trans- 
gression of  my  people  was  he  stricken." 

2d.  "And  to  make  an  end  of  sins"  This  was  also 
performed  at  his  death.  See  Heb.  ix.  26,  "But  now 
once  in  the  end  of  the  world  hath  he  appeared,  to  put 
away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself."  And  1  John  iii. 
5,  "  Ye  know  that  he  (Christ)  was  manifested  to  take 
away  our  sins." 
6 


62  LECTURE    IV. 

3d.  "  And  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity"  Was 
this  also  performed  at  his  death?  Yes.  See  Col.  i. 
20,  "  And  having  made  peace  through  the  blood  of  his 
cross,  by  him  to  reconcile  all  things  to  himself."  Heb. 
ii.  17,  "  Wherefore  in  all  things  it  behooved  him  to  be 
made  like  unto  his  brethren ;  that  he  might  be  a  mer- 
ciful and  faithful  high  priest  in  things  pertaining  to  God, 
to  make  reconciliation  for  the  sins  of  the  people." 

4th.  "And  to  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness." 
"  This  must  be  by  Christ's  obedience,"  says  the  objector, 
"  and  cannot  be  at  his  death."  Not  so  fast,  dear  sir ;  let  us 
hear  the  testimony.  Romans  v.  21,  "  That  as  sin  hath 
reigned  unto  death,  even  so  might  grace  reign  through 
righteousness  unto  eternal  life,  by  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord."  And,  "By  the  obedience  of  one  shall  many  be 
made  righteous."  Again,  see  Phil.  ii.  8,  "  And  being 
found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself  and  be- 
came obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross." 
Paul  says,  "  I  do  not  frustrate  the  grace  of  God ;  for  if 
righteousness  came  by  the  law,  then  Christ  is  dead  in 
vain;"  evidently  showing,  that  by  Christ's  obedience 
unto  death,  he  brought  in  everlasting  righteousness. 

5th.  "  To  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy."  What 
does  "  to  seal  up  "  mean  ?  I  answer,  It  means  to  make 
sure,  certain,  unalterable.  Consult  Esther  iii.  12,  viii. 
8.  Solomon  says,  "  Set  me  as  a  seal  upon  thine  heart, 
as  a  seal  upon  thine  arm ; "  that  is,  make  me  sure  in 
thy  love,  and  certain  by  thy  power.  John  says," "He 
that  hath  received  his  testimony  hath  set  to  his  seal  that 
God  is  true."  John  iii.  33.  Paul  to  Rome,  xv.  28, 
"  When  I  have  performed  this,  and  sealed  to  them  this 
fruit ; "  that  is,  made  sure  the  contributions.  Again, 
to  Timothy,  2  Epistle,  ii.  19,  "  Nevertheless,  the  founda- 
tion of  God  standeth  sure,  having  this  seal,  The  Lord 
knoweth  them  that  are  his."  Therefore  the  death  of 
Christ  would  make  Daniel's  vision  sure ;  for  if  a  part  of 
the  vision  should  be  exactly  fulfilled,  as  to  time  and 
manner,  then  the  remainder  of  the  vision  would  be  ac- 
complished in  manner  and  time,  as  literally  as  the 
seventy  weeks  had  been. 

6th.  «  And  anoint  the  Most  Holy."     The  Most  Holy, 


Christ's  second  coming.  63 

in  this  passage,  must  mean  Christ ;  for  no  human  being 
can,  or  ought  to  claim  this  appellation,  save  him  whom 
God  hath  anointed  to  be  a  Savior  in  Israel,  and  a  King- 
in  Zion.  See  Acts  x.  38,  "  How  God  anointed  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  power." 
Also,  Acts  iv.  27,  "  For  of  a  truth  against  thy  holy  child 
Jesus,  whom  thou  hast  anointed,  both  Herod  and  Pon- 
tius Pilate,  with  the  Gentiles,  and  the  people  of  Israel, 
were  gathered  together,  for  to  do  whatsoever  thy 
hand  and  thy  counsel  determined  before  to  be  done." 
Heb.  i.  9,  "  Therefore  God,  even  thy  God,  hath  anointed 
thee  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above  thy  fellows." 

It  will  next  be  requisite  to  inquire,  When  was  Christ 
anointed  ? 

I  answer,  When  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  upon  him, 
and  when  he  was  endued  with  power  from  on  high  to 
work  miracles.  See  Isa.  lxi.  1,  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
God  is  upon  me ;  because  the  Lord  hath  anointed  me  to 
preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek :  he  hath  sent  me  to 
bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to  proclaim  liberty  to  the 
captives,  and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are 
bound." 

After  Christ  was  baptized  by  John,  and  after  being 
tempted  of  the  devil  forty  days  in  the  wilderness,  he 
went  in  the  spirit  into  Galilee,  and  on  the  Sabbath  day 
he  went  into  the  synagogue,  as  his  custom  was,  and  he 
stood  up  to  read.  They  gave  him  the  book  of  Isaiah. 
When  he  opened  the  book  he  found  the  passage  which 
I  have  just  quoted.  After  reading  it  he  shut  up  the 
book  and  sat  down.  He  then  began  to  say  unto  them, 
"  This  day  is  this  scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears,"  Luke 
iv.  1 — 21.  This  passage  plainly  proves  that  Christ  was 
anointed  on  or  before  this  day. 

Other  things  were  to  be  done  in  the  seventy  weeks, 
such  as,  The  cutting  off  of  the  Messiah,  but  not  for 
himself.  This  can  mean  nothing  less  than  the  cruci- 
fixion of  Christ.  See  Luke  xxiv.  26,  46,  "  Ought  not 
Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  to  enter  into 
his  glory  ?  "  "  Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  behooved 
Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from  the  dead  the  third  day." 
Rom.  v.  6,  "  For  when  we  were  without  strength,  in  due 


04  LECTURE     IV. 

time  (or  according  to  the  time  of  seventy  weeks)  Christ 
died  for  us." 

"  And  he  (Messiah)  shall  confirm  the  covenant  with 
many  for  one  week."  What  covenant  is  this  to  be  con- 
firmed? I  answer,  It  cannot  be  the  Jewish  covenant, 
for  that  was  confirmed  by  Moses  many  hundred  years 
before  Daniel  lived.  There  being  but  two  covenants, 
it  must  of  necessity  be  the  new  covenant  of  which 
Christ  is  the  Mediator ;  Moses  having  been  the  media- 
tor of  the  old,  and  Christ  afterwards  of  the  new.  If 
these  things  are  so,  and  the  gospel  covenant  is  meant 
by  Daniel,  then  the  time  the  gospel  was  preached  by 
John  and  Christ  is  here  called  a  week ;  for  Christ  him- 
self preached  more  than  seven  days.  Christ  kept  three 
passovers  with  the  Jews  after  he  began  his  ministry, 
and  oefore  he  nailed  the  ceremonial  law  to  his  cross. 
This  is  strong  evidence  that  a  week  is  seven  years,  and 
that  Daniel's  70  weeks  are  to  be  understood  as  meaning 
490  years.  * 

Again,  "  In  the  midst  of  the  week  he  should  cause 
the  sacrifice  and  oblation  to  cease,"  or,  as  all  Hebrew 
scholars  agree,  "  In  the  last  half  of  the  week,"  &c,  is 
the  more  proper  translation ;  and  it  is  evident  that  this 
translation  would  harmonize  with  the  other  parts  of  the 
passage,  "  the  sacrifice  and  oblation  to  cease." 

What  sacrifice  and  offering  is  this,  which  the  Messiah 
was  to  cause  to  cease  ?  I  answer,  It  must  of  course  be 
that  one  offering  and  sacrifice  for  sin  of  which  all  other 
offerings  and  sacrifices  were  but  types.  It  could  not 
be  the  Jewish  sacrifices  and  offerings,  for  two  good 
reasons. 

1st.  This  is  but  one  sacrifice,  and  the  Jews  had  many. 
It  does  not  say  sacrifices ;  therefore  it  cannot  mean 
Jewish  sacrifices,  nor  offerings. 

2d  reason.  The  Jewish  sacrifices  and  offerings  did  not 
cease  in,  nor  even  very  nigh,  the  last  half  of  the  week 
in  which  the  Messiah  confirmed  the  covenant  with  many; 
and,  even  to  the  present  day,  they  make  oblations,  if  not 
sacrifices.  It  must  mean  that  sacrifice  and  oblation 
which  the  Messiah  was  to  make  to  God  for  sin,  once  for 
all.    It  must  mean  that  sacrifice  which  is  the  antetypo 


Christ's  second  coming.  G5 

of  all  the  legal  sacrifices  from  the  days  of  Abel  to  the 
days  of  the  Messiah.  Let  us  hear  what  Paul  says,  Heb. 
vii.  27,  "  Who  needeth  not  daily,  as  those  high  priests, 
to  offer  up  sacrifice,  first  for  his  own  sins,  and  then  for 
the  people's ;  for  this  he  did  once  when  he  offered  up 
himself." 

See  also  Heb.  x.  11,  12.  "  And  every  priest  standeth 
daily  ministering,  and  offering  oftentimes  the  same  sacri- 
fices, which  can  never  take  away  sins ;  but  tliis  man, 
after  he  had  offered  one  sacrifice  for  sins,  forever  sat 
down  on  the  right  hand  of  God."  Many  more  passages 
might  be  brought  to  show  that  all  sacrifices  and  obla- 
tions which  could  take  away  sin,  or  in  which  God  the 
Father  could  be  well  pleased,  ceased  in  Christ's  one 
sacrifice  aud  oblation.  But  I  have  given  enough  to  sat- 
isfy every  candid,  unprejudiced  mind ;  therefore  I  shall, 

II.  Try  to  prove  when  the  seventy  weeks  began,  and 
when  they  ended. 

yiie  angel  Gabriel  tells  Daniel,  ix.  25,  "  Know,  there- 
fore, and  understand,  that,  from  the  going  forth  of  the 
commandment  to  restore  and  to  build  Jerusalem,  unto 
the  Messiah,  the  Prince,  shall  be  seven  weeks,  and  three- 
score and  two  weeks ;  the  street  shall  be  built  again, 
and  the  wall,  even  in  troublous  times." 

In  this  passage  we  have  a  plain  declaration  when  the 
seventy  weeks  began :  "  from  the  going  forth  of  the 
commandment."  But  what  commandment  ?  we  may 
inquire.  I  answer,  A  command  that  will  finally  restore 
the  Jews  from  their  captivity  under  which  they  then 
were  held  in  bondage  ;  also  to  prepare  the  way  for  them 
to  rebuild  their  city,  repeople  the  same,  and  raise  up 
the  decayed  walls,  settle  the  streets,  and  cleanse  the 
city  of  Jerusalem;  and  these  things  would  be  done  in 
troublous  times.  So  much  is  expressed  or  implied  in 
the  declaration  of  Gabriel,  which  I  have  just  quoted. 

Who  would  give  the  command  ?  i3  the  next  question. 
I  answer,  It  must  be  a  king  who  had  power  over  the 
Jews  to  release  and  restore  them.  It  must  of  necessity 
be  a  king  over  the  Medes  and  Persians,  or  it  would  not 
be  in  agreement  with  the  vision  in  the  8th  chapter  of 
Daniel ;  for  he  is  expressly  told  by  Gabriel  that  the  ram 
6* 


66  LECTURE    IV. 

he  saw,  and  which  was  the  first  thing  he  did  see  in  the 
vision,  were  the  kings  of  Media  and  Persia.  And  now 
this  same  angel  Gabriel  has  come  the  second  time,  and 
tells  Daniel,  plainly  and  distinctly,  that  he  has  come  to 
make  him  "  understand  the  vision."  What  vision  ?  The 
one  Daniel  had  in  the  beginning,  in  the  8th  chapter. 
See  Daniel  ix.  21—23. 

Then  Gabriel  begins  his  instructions  by  giving  him 
seventy  Aveeks  of  the  vision,  and  then  shoAvs  him,  verse 
24,  when  his  seventy  weeks  begin  ;  or,  which  is  the 
same  thing,  "  the  vision.'1''  To  read  and  understand  the 
matter  thus  far,  infidelity  itself  must  blush  to  deny  the 
premises. 

Then,  if  we  have  settled  this  question,  the  next  ques 
tion  would  be,  Which  king  of  Persia,  and  what  com- 
mandment ?  I  answer,  It  must  be  the  fifth  king  of  Persia 
noted  in  the  Scripture  of  truth ;  for  the  angel  Gabriel, 
the  third  time  he  visited  Daniel  to  give  him  skill  and 
understanding  into  "  tlie  vision,"  says,  "  But  I  will  show 
thee  that  which  is  noted  in  the  scripture  of  truth,"  Dan. 
x.  2.1.  This  shows  that  he  was  instructing  Daniel  into 
a  vision  which  he  before  had  seen,  and  written  in  the 
Scriptures.  See  Dan.  vii.  1,  "  Then  he  wrote  the 
dream,  and  told  the  sum  of  the  matters."  Dan.  x.  14, 
"  Now  I  am  come  to  make  thee  understand  what  shall 
befall  thy  people  in  the  latter  days ;  for  yet  the  vision  is 
for  many  days."  What  vision  ?  The  one  noted  in  the 
Scripture  of  truth,  says  Gabriel.  Then,  in  Dan.  xi.  2, 
he  begins  his  instruction  to  him  of  the  vision,  which  he 
was  commanded  by  the  voice  between  the  banks  of  Ulai 
to  make  him  understand,  by  saying,  "  And  now  will  I 
show  thee  the  truth.  Behold,  there  shall  stand  up  yet 
three  kings  in  Persia ;  and  the  fourth  shall  be  far  richer 
than  they  all,"  This  fourth  king  was  the  ram  pushing, 
and  was  the  fifth  king  of  Persia,  being  the  fourth  from 
Cyrus,  who  was  then  standing  up.     See  Dan.  x.  1. 

The  kings,  as  Ezra  has  named  them  in  his  4th  chap- 
ter and  7th  chapter,  were,  1st,  Cyrus;  2d,  Ahasuerus; 
3d,  Artaxerxes,  (the  first ;)  4th,  Darius  ;  5th,  Artaxerxes 
(Longimanus ;)  this  last  being  the  king  who  gave  a  com- 
mandment to  Ezra  to  restore  all  the  captive  Jews  who 
were  willing  to  go  to  Jerusalem. 


Christ's  second  coming.  67 

What  commandment  ?  is  our  next  question  to  answer. 
The  decree  given  by  Cyrus  (see  Ezra  i.  1 — 11)  cannot 
be  the  decree  meant  by  the  angel,  for  the  four  following 
reasons : — 

1st.  Cyrus  was  the  first  king  of  Persia,  and  of  course 
cannot  be  the  fifth  king,  as  we  have  already  shown. 

2d  reason.  The  decree  of  Cyrus  was  two  years  be- 
fore the  angel  gave  his  last  instruction  to  Daniel,  and 
he  would  not  have  spoken  of  it  as  being  future,  if  it  had 
already  passed :  "  There  shall  yet  stand  up  three  kings," 
&c. 

3d  reason.  Cyrus's  decree  was  not  given  to  build 
Jerusalem,  but  "  the  house  of  God  which  was  at  Jerusa- 
lem ; "  neither  were  the  walls  built  in  troublous  times, 
under  the  decree  by  Cyrus. 

4th  reason.  This  decree  by  Cyrus  was  given  536 
years  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  or  569  years  before  his 
death.  Therefore  no  rules  of  interpretation  given  in 
the  Scriptures  could  possibly  show  how  those  tilings 
were  accomplished  in  seventy  weeks,  which  Gabriel 
has  shown,  in  our  text  and  context,  were  determined  to 
be  done.  This,  then,  cannot  be  the  commandment,  and 
harmonize  with  either  Bible  or  facts. 

Again:  the  decree  given  by  Darius,  Ezra  vi.  1 — 14, 
cannot  be  the  commandment  to  which  the  angel  alluded, 
for  the  same  reasons  we  have  shown  that  Cyrus's  decree 
could  not  be  the  one  ;  for  this  was  only  a  renewal  of  the 
former,  and  this  decree  was  issued  552  years  before 
Christ's  death. 

The  next  decree  or  command  of  any  king  of  Persia 
we  find  in  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes  (Longima- 
nus.)  See  Ezra  vii.  6 — 28.  In  this  decree  we  find  the 
last  command  of  any  king  of  Persia  to  restore  the  cap- 
tive Jews.  We  learn  that,  in  this  decree,  the  king  fur- 
nished them  with  money  and  means  to  beautify  and 
adorn  the  temple  which  had  been  built  by  Darius's  crder 
a  number  of  years  before.  We  find  that  the  interdict, 
Ezra  iv.  21,  in  which  the  Jews  were  commanded  not  to 
build  Jerusalem,  is  now  removed  by  its  own  limitation, 
"  until  another  commandment  be  given  from  me."  *]  rrs 
decree,  therefore,  took  off  this  command.     We  learr  cy 


tJ9  LECTURE    IV. 

Ezra's  prayer,  ix.  9,  that  Ezra  understood  that  the  decree 
to  which  we  allude  did  give  them  the  privilege  of  build- 
ing, in  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  the  wall  which  had  been 
broken  down.  After  Ezra  had  been  high  priest  and 
governor  in  Jerusalem  thirteen  years,  Nehemiah  was 
permitted  to  go  up  to  assist  Ezra  in  building  Jerusalem 
and  repairing  the  walls ;  which  was  done  in  troublous 
times,  under  Nehemiah's  administration,  which  lasted  in 
all  39  years.  See  Nehemiah,  4th  to  the  7th  chapter 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  both  of  them  having  served  as  gov- 
ernors 49  years. 

Here,  then,  we  find  the  fulfilment  of  what  the  angel 
told  Daniel  would  be  done  under  the  command  that 
would  begin  the  seventy  weeks,  and  which  is  the  same 
thing  —  " the  vision"  This  decree  was  given  457  years 
before  Christ:  the  seventy  weeks  began,  and  if  they 
ended  at  the  death  of  Christ,  which  we  have  proved  did 
end  them,  then  the  seventy  weeks  ended  after  Christ  33 
years,  making,  in  all,  490  years,  which  is  70  weeks  of 
years. 

But  it  is  evident  that  Gabriel  has  divided  the  seventy 
weeks  into  three  parts,  and  I  think  clearly  explains  the 
use  of  this  division. 

"  Shall  be  seven  weeks,  and  threescore  and  two 
weeks."  Then,  as  if  you  should  inquire,  What  is  seven 
weeks  for  ?  he  explains,  "  The  street  shall  be  built 
again,  and  the  wall,  even  in  troublous  times."  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah  were  49  years,  or  seven  weeks  of  years,  per- 
forming these  very  things,  which  ended  before  Christ 
408.  See  large  edition  of  Polyglot  Bible.  What  is 
sixty-two  weeks  for  ?  The  angel  has  already  told  us, 
°  Unto  the  Messiah,  the  Prince ; "  that  is,  to  the  time 
Christ  was  anointed  to  preach,  the  meaning  of  Messiah. 
Sixty-two  weeks  are  434  days ;  or  weeks  of  years  would 
be  434  years,  which,  beginning  where  the  seven  weeks 
ended,  408,  would  end  26  years  after  Christ,  the  year 
John  began  to  preach  as  forerunner  of  Christ.  Then 
"  he  shall  confirm  the  covenant  with  many  for  one  week," 
making  in  all  the  seventy  weeks.  Thus  the  seven 
weeks  ended  with  the  administration  of  Nehemiah,  B. 
C.  408.    Then  the  sixty-two  weeks  ended  when  John 


Christ's  second  coming.  €3 

began  to  preach  the  gospel,  A.  D.  26;  and  the  one 
week  was  fulfilled  in  A.  D.  33,  when  Christ  offered  him- 
self upon  the  cross,  as  an  offering  and  sacrifice  for  sin^ 
"by  which  offering  we  are  sanctified  once  for  all."  For 
he  need  not  offer  himself  often,  as  the  high  priest  did, 
under  the  law.  "  But  now,  once  in  the  end  of  the  world, 
hath  he  appeared  to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  him- 
self." Heb.  ix.  26,  Therefore,  "  he  shall  cause  the  sac- 
rifice and  oblation  to  cease."  That  is  the  only  and  last 
sacrifice  and  oblation  that  will  be  ever  offered  in  our 
world,  which  can  take  away  sin;  "for  there  remaineth," 
says  the  apostle,  "  no  more  sacrifice  for  sin."  Then  let 
rne  inquire,  What  is  the  sum  of  the  instruction  of  the  an- 
gel to  Daniel?  I  will  sum  it  up  in  as  few  words  as 
I  can. 

After  Daniel  had  a  certain  vision,  commonly  called 
"  the  vision  of  the  ram,  the  he-goat,  and  the  little  horn," 
Daniel  heard  one  saint  inquire  of  another,  how  long  that 
vision  should  be.  The  answer  was  given  Daniel,  that 
it  should  be  unto  2300  days,  when  the  sanctuary  should  be 
cleansed  or  justified.  Daniel  then  heard  a  man's  voico 
between  the  banks  of  Ulai,  which  called  and  said,  Ga- 
briel, make  this  man  to  understand  the  vision.  Accord- 
ingly, Gabriel  came  to  Daniel,  and  informed  him  that  at 
the  end  of  the  world,  or  time  appointed  of  God,  the  vis- 
ion should  be  fulfilled.  He  then  tells  him  that  the  ram 
represented  the  Mede  and  Persian  kingdom  ;  and  that 
the  rough  goat  represented  the  Grecian  kingdom  ;  gives 
a  short  history  of  that  kingdom,  and  its  four  divisions ; 
then  shows,  at  the  close  of  these  kingdoms,  that  another 
king  would  arise,  (meaning  the  kingdom  of  the  little 
horn,  or  Roman,)  describing  him  exactly  as  Moses  had 
described  the  Romans  many  centuries  before.  See  Deu- 
teronomy xxviii.  49,  50.  "The  Lord  shall  bring  a  na- 
tion against  thee  from  far,  from  the  end  of  the  earth,  as 
swift  as  the  eagle  flieth ;  a  nation  whose  tongue  thou 
shalt  not  understand ;  a  nation  of  fierce  countenance." 
This,  no  person  will  dispute,  means  the  Romans.  Theo 
why  not  a  similar  description  in  Daniel,  viii.  23  ?  "  When 
the  transgressors  (meaning  the  Jews)  are  come  to  the 
full,  a  king  of  fierce  countenance,  and  understanding 


70  LECTURE    IV. 

dark  sentences,  shall  stand  up,  and  his  power  shall  be 
mighty,  but  not  by  his  own  power;  and  he  shall  destroy 
wonderfully,  and  shall  prosper  and  practise,  and  shall 
destroy  the  mighty  and  the  holy  people." 

I  think  the  reader,  divested  of  prejudice,  cannot  ap- 
ply the  description  given  in  the  above  quotation  to  any 
other  nation  but  the  ftomans.  "  And  through  his  policy, 
lie  shall  cause  craft  to  prosper  in  his  hand."  This  de- 
scription agrees  with  Paul'  s  man  of  sin,  the  mystery  of 
iniquity  which  worked  in  his  day,  and  which  would  be 
destroyed  by  the  brightness  of  Christ's  coming.  See  2 
Thess.  ii.  3—8.  "  So  that  he,  as  God,  sitteth  in  the 
temple  of  God,  showing  himself  that  he  is  God."  Ga- 
briel says,  "  And  he  shall  magnify  himself  in  his  heart, 
and  by  peace  shall  destroy  many ;  he  shall  also  stand  up 
against  the  Prince  of  princes ; "  that  is,  against  God ; 
the  very  same  character  which  Paul  has  described.  "  But 
he  shall  be  broken  without  hand,"  that  is,  "by  the  bright- 
ness of  his  (Christ's)  coming,"  as  says  Paul.  But  as  Dan- 
iel has  said,  "  By  the  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain  with- 
out hand ;"  or,  as  he  says,  Daniel  vii.  21,  22,  "I  beheld, 
and  the  same  horn  made  war  with  the  saints,  and  pre- 
vailed over  them,  until  the  Ancient  of  days  came,  and 
judgment  was  given  to  the  saints  of  the  Most  High ;  and 
the  time  came  that  the  saints  possessed  the  kingdom." 

After  Gabriel  had  instructed  Daniel  thus  far,  he  left 
him.  Sixteen  years  afterwards,  Gabriel  came  again  to 
Daniel,  and  informed  him  that  he  had  come  to  instruct 
him,  and  give  him  skill  and  understanding  into  the  vis- 
ion, of  which  we  have  been  speaking.  He  then  gives 
him  the  seventy  weeks,  shows  what  would  be  accom- 
plished in  that  time,  the  cutting  off  of  the  Messiah,  and 
the  ceasing  of  the  sacrifice  and  oblation.  He  men- 
tions the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  war  of  the 
little  horn ;  the  desolation  of  the  people  of  God,  and 
overspreading  of  abominations.  He  carries  us  to  the 
consummation,  destruction  of  the  little  horn,  called  here 
the  desolator.  See  marginal  reading.  Gabriel,  after 
giving  the  history  of  the  seventy  weeks,  dwells  not  in 
detail  on  the  remainder  of  the  vision,  but  reserves  a  more 
detailed  account  for  the  next  visit, which  is  given  untc 


Christ's  second  coming.  71 

us  in  the  10th  to  the  12th  chapter  of  Daniel  inclu- 
sive. 

But  the  seventy  weeks,  of  which  we  are  more  partic- 
ularly speaking-,  the  angel  Gabriel  has  told  us  Avhen 
it  began  :  at  the  going  forth  of  the  commandment  to  re- 
store and  build  Jerusalem,  &c.  We  have  found  no  com- 
mand that  will  apply  in  all  its  bearings,  but  the  one  given 
to  Ezra,  which  was  given  in  the  457th  year  before  the 
birth  of  Christ :  and  33  years  afterwards  Christ  was  cru- 
cified; which  two  numbers,  if  added,  make  490  years, 
exactly  seventy  weeks  of  years.  We  learn  that  Gabriel, 
in  order  to  make  the  vision  doubly  sure,  divides  the 
seventy  weeks  into  three  parts,  seven,  sixty-two,  and 
one,  making  in  all  seventy.  He  then  tells  us  plainly 
what  would  be  accomplished  in  each  part  separately. 

1st.  Seven  weeks.  "  The  street  shall  be  built  again, 
and  the  wall,  even  in  troublous  times."  No  man  can 
dispute  but  that  this  was  accomplished  under  the  ad- 
ministration of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  And  it  is  very 
evident  that  these  two  were  governors  over  J  erusalem 
49  years,  which  makes  the  seven  weeks  of  years,  and 
carries  us  down  the  stream  of  time  to  the  year 
408  B.  C. 

2d.  Sixty-two  weeks.  "  Unto  the  Messiah,  the 
Prince;"  that  is,  unto  the  time  that  Jesus  was 
anointed  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  power  to  preach 
the  gospel,  either  in  himself  or  forerunner  John.  See 
Mark  i.  1.  Sixty-two  weeks  of  years  would  be  434 
years.  This  would  carry  us  down  to  twenty-six  years 
after  Christ's  birth,  and  brings  us  to  the  very  year  of 
"the  beo-inning  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  son 
of  God."     Marki.  1. 

3d.  One  week.  "  He  shall  confirm  the  covenant  with 
many  for  one  week."  One  week  would,  of  course,  be 
seven  years,  which,  added  to  twenty-six,  would  make 
thirty-three  years  after  Christ.  Here,  too,  we  find  an 
exact  and  literal  accomplishment  of  the  angel's  declara- 
tion. The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  preached  by  John 
three  and  a  half  years,  and  by  Christ  three  and  a  half 
years,  making  seven  years,  called  one  week,  and  then 
Messiah  cut  off,  and  not  for  himself,  Christ  crucified, 


72  LECTURE    IV. 

ends  the  seventy  weeks,  proves  Daniel's  prophecy  true, 
establishes  the  vision,  confounds  the  Jew,  confutes  the 
infidel,  and  ought  to  establish  the  mind  of  every  be- 
liever in  the  remainder  of  the  vision. 

Here,  then,  is  a  combination  of  facts  and  circum- 
stances, together  with  dates  and  times,  which  throws 
upon  the  mind  such  strong  array  of  testimony,  that  it 
would  seem  no  rational  being  could  withstand  the  proof 
And  methinks  I  hear  some  say,  Why  all  this  argument  ? 
Wo  one  but  a  Jew  ever  disputed,  but  that  the  seventy 
weeks  were  fulfilled  at  the  death  of  Christ,  and  that  a 
day  in  this  prophecy  was  a  figure  of  a  year. 

1  should  not  have  been  thus  particular,  and  have  tres- 
passed so  much  on  your  time  to  prove  a  given  point  in 
Christendom,  had  1  not  recently  met  with  more  than  one 
Christian  professor,  and  even  teachers  in  Zion,  who  deny 
that  the  seventy  weeks  ended  with  the  death  of  Christ, 
or  that  a  day  in  this  prophecy  means  a  year.  Some  have 
gone  so  far  in  infidelity  as  to  deny  that  "  Most  Holy,"  in 
our  text,  and  "  Messiah,"  in  our  context,  means  Christ 
This  surely  would  make  a  Jew  blush.  I  agree  that  1 
never  anticipated  that  any  objection  could  be  raised  on 
those  points,  without  a  wilful  perversion  of  language, 
and  a  total  disregard  of  the  word  of  God. 

But  man,  in  his  fallen  state,  is  an  unaccountable, 
strange  being ;  if  his  favorite  notions  are  crossed,  he 
will,  to  avoid  conclusions,  deny  even  his  own  senses^ 
Therefore  it  becomes  necessary  for  me  to  prove,  what 
has  been  considered  by  many,  even  of  the  objectors 
themselves  in  previous  time,  given  points  in  theology. 

It  is  not  more  than  four  years  since  many  of  the 
clergy  and  D.D.'s  in  the  city  of  New  York  met  a  dele- 
gation of  the  Jewish  patriarchs  from  the  East,  and  in 
their  conference  the  clergy  and  doctors  brought  forward 
the  seventy  weeks  in  Daniel,  as  proof  positive  of  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  being  the  true  Messiah.  They  explained 
the  seventy  weeks  in  the  same  manner  I  have  to  you, 
and  asked  the  Jews  how  they  could  avoid  the  conclu- 
sion? and  I  understood  they  could  get  no  answer. 
Now,  suppose  these  same  clergy  and  D.D.'s  should 
meet  me  on  the  question  now  pending ;  I  should  not  be 


Christ's  second  coming.  73 

greatly  disappointed  if  they  should  deny  my  premises. 
«  Why  would  they  do  thus  ?  "  say  you.  I  answer,  For  the 
same  reason  that  the  lawyer  hesitated,  when  he  learned 
that  it  was  his  bull  that  gored  the  farmer's  ox. 

"  But  might  we  not  understand  the  seventy  weeks  to  be 
so  many  literal  weeks,  that  is,  490  common  days  ?  "  say 
you.  I  answer,  If  so,  then  the  command  to  build  Jeru- 
salem must  have  been  given  only  a  year  and  a  third 
before  Christ's  death ;  and  it  would  have  been  very 
improper  for  Gabriel  to  have  said,  "  Unto  the  Messiah, 
the  Prince,  shall  be  seven  weeks,  and  threescore  and 
two  weeks,"  when  he  had  already  come,  and  had  been 
preaching  more  than  two  years  before  the  weeks  began. 
No,  my  friends ;  every  reasonable  controversialist  must 
acknowledge  there  is  no  possible  way  to  get  rid  of 
our  conclusion  but  to  deny  that  Most  Holy,  and 
Messiah,  means  Christ,  in  our  text  and  context  And 
I  pity,  and  leave  the  man  in  the  hands  of  him  who 
knows  all  hearts,  that  is  forced  on  to  ground  so  un- 
tenable as  this. 

If  I  have  got  a  right  understanding  of  the  seventy 
weeks,  that  a  day  stands  for  a  year,  —  and  I  have  never 
been  able  to  find  a  Christian  expositor  who  disagrees 
with  me  on  this  point,  either  modern  or  ancient,  —  then 
the  conclusion  is,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  unavoidable,  that 
the  vision  of  Daniel  is  2300  years  long,  and  that  the 
490  years  before  Christ's  death  is  not  only  the  key  to 
unlock  the  commencing  of  the  vision,  but  shows  con- 
clusively how  and  when,  and  manner  and  time,  the  king- 
doms of  this  world  will  be  broken  to  pieces  and  carried 
away,  and  no  place  found  for  them,  by  the  stone  which 
will  become  a  great  mountain  and  fill  the  whole  earth. 

For  the  seventy  weeks  must  seal  up  the  vision  and 
make  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  true.  Then,  if  2300  days 
is  the  length  of  the  vision,  and  490  days  of  that  vision 
were  fulfilled  in  490  years  ending  with  Christ's  death, 
so  must  1810  days  end  the  vision,  which,  upon  precisely 
the  same  rule,  will  be  fulfilled  in  1810  years  after 
Christ's  death,  or  in  1843  after  his  birth,  which  is  the 
same  thing. 

But,  sav  some,  "  Daniel  did  not  understand  the  vision 
7 


74  LECTURE    IV. 

nor  end."  Then  the  angel  Gabriel  was  not  obedient  to 
the  heavenly  command ;  for  he  was  commanded  to  make 
Daniel  "  understand  the  vision,"  and  the  vision  and  end 
are  connected  by  the  angel  himself.  He  says,  "  At  the 
time  of  the  end  shall  be  the  vision." 

Again :  if  Daniel  did  not  understand,  the  angel  must 
have  been  disappointed ;  for  the  angel  says,  "  Behold,  I 
will  make  thee  know  what  shall  be  in  the  last  end  of  the 
indignation ;  for  at  the  time  appointed,  (2300  days,)  the 
end  shall  be." 

Again :  if  Daniel  did  not  understand  the  vision  and 
time,  then  his  own  words  cannot  be  taken  as  evidence. 
"A  thing  was  revealed  unto  Daniel,  and  the  thing  was 
true,  but  the  time  appointed  (2300  days)  was  long." 
This  shows  that  Daniel  understood  the  time ;  for  he  says 
it  was  long.  For  no  man  would  have  called  2300  com- 
mon days  (not  quite  seven  years)  a  long  time  for  so 
many  great  and  important  events,  as  are  noticed  in  the 
vision,  to  transpire  in.  "  And  he  understood  the  thing, 
(that  is,  the  time,)  and  had  understanding  of  the  vision." 
Daniel  x.  1. 

Now,  let  the  objector  quarrel  with  Gabriel  and  Daniel 
if  he  pleases.  I  have  their  testimony,  and  shall  give 
them  the  preference.  Some  say,  "  God  has  not  revealed 
the  time."  I  ask,  then,  Who  revealed  this  vision  to 
Daniel?  By  whose  command  was  the  answer  given, 
2300  days?  Who  revealed  the  seventy  weeks,  the 
"  time,  times,  and  a  half"  ?  How  came  Daniel  by  his 
1290  and  1335  days  ?  Who  said  to  Daniel,  "  But  go 
thou  thy  way  till  the  end  6e,  for  thou  shalt  rest  and  stand 
in  thy  lot  at  the  end  of  the  days  "  ?  Read  Daniel  ii.  20, 
23,  and  28th  verses,  and  let  the  objector  lay  his  hands 
upon  his  mouth  and  be  silent.  Has  man  become  so  bold 
in  sin  that  he  will  contradict  angels,  defame  the  proph- 
ets, deny  the  word  of  God,  that  we  may  cry  peace 
and  safety,  when  sudden  destruction  cometh  ?  "But 
if  ye  will  not  hear  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither 
would  you  though  one  rose  from  the  dead."  Peter  says, 
*}  There  shall  be  scoffers  in  the  last  day,  saying,  Where 
is  the  promise  of  his  coming  ?  "  God  has  not  revealed 
the  time  of  the  end,  say  ypu ;  therefore  it  will  be  no 


Christ's  second  coming.  75 

barm  for  you  to  "  say  in  your  hearts,  My  Lord  delayeth 
ois  coming." 

Who  shall  tell  the  friend  of  the  bridegroom  when 
to  give  the  midnight  cry,  "  Behold,  the  bridegroom 
cometh  "  ?  For  this  must  be  before  he  comes  —  no  time 
then  to  cry  ;  for  it  will  be  as  sudden  as  the  lightning, 
says  the  dear  Savior. 

Let  the  objectors  look  to  it,  that  they  do  not  reject  the 
council  of  God  against  themselves.  " 

"  But  ye,  brethren,  are  not  in  darkness,  (ignorant  of 
the  revelation  of  God,)  that  that  day  shall  overtake  you 
as  a  thie£"    Ameiu 


LECTURE    V. 


REV.  xiii.  18. 


Here  is  wisdom.  Let  him  that  hath  understanding  eount  the  num- 
ber of  the  beast ;  for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man  ;  and  his  number 
is  six  hundred  threescore  and  six. 


This  text  has  caused  as  much  speculation  as  any 
text  in  the  whole  Bible ;  rivers  of  ink  have  been  shed 
to  explain  its  meaning ,  brains  have  been  addled  in 
trying-  to  find  some  great  mystery  which  the  wisdom  of 
this  world,  as  was  supposed,  could  only  discover ;  and  in 
trying  to  be  wise  above  what  was  written,  men  have 
lost  their  balance,  and  fell  into  absurdities  too  ridiculous 
to  mention.  Some  have  searched  through  all  the  vo- 
cabulary of  Greek  names,  to  find  one  whose  numerical 
letters  would  make  the  number  666,  and  they  have  been 
wonderfully  blest,  for  they  found  a  number ;  but  here 
again  there  remained  a  difficulty  to  surmount,  which 
required  as  much  ingenuity  as  the  former ;  but  to 
remedy  the  evil,  every  Greek  scholar  chose  the  one  his 
fancy  dictated,  wrote  his  book  on  the  number  666,  and 
then  died,  and  his  wonderful  name  died  with  him ;  for 
every  wise  Greek  had  his  own  favorite  name.  Also,  the 
Latin  book-worms,  not  wishing  to  be  outdone  by  their 
Greek  brethren,  rummaged  all  the  old  goatskin  parch- 
ments and  musty  books  in  the  cloisters  of  all  the  monks 
in  Christendom ;  and  behold,  a  much  greater  harvest  was 
the  fruit  of  their  labor ;  for  now  every  Latinus  had  three 
or  more  names  to  his  share  ;  and  in  all  this  wisdom,  all 
other  nations  were   left   without  any   wisdom,  except 


Christ's  second  coming.  77 

what  they  borrowed  from  their  neighbors,  the  learned 
Greeks  and  Latins.  But  I  hope,  my  dear  hearers,  that 
you  have  learned  that  if  there  is  any  mystery  of  God  not 
explained  by  the  Bible,  it  is  not  for  us  to  understand. 
Therefore,  in  treating  upon  this  subject,  I  shall  en- 
deavor to  present  the  Scripture  on  the  point,  and  then 
leave  you  to  judge  whether  we  have  light  or  not. 

I.  Show  what  wisdom  this  is  spoken  of  in  the  text. 

II.  Speak   of  the  beast  numbered,  and   show  what 
beast. 

III.  The  number,  and  what  we  may  understand  by  it. 
I.   The  wisdom  spoken  of  in  the  text. 

1st.  Is  it  the  wisdom  of  men,  or  of  this  world  ?  I 
answer,  No.  For  Paul  says,  1  Cor. ii.  4,13,  "And  my 
speech  and  my  preaching  was  not  with  enticing  words 
of  man's  wisdom,  but  in  demonstration  of  the  spirit  and 
of  power ;  that  your  faith  should  not  stand  in  the  wisdom 
of  man,  but  in  the  power  of  God.  Howbeit  we  speak 
wisdom  among  them  that  are  perfect ;  yet  not  the  wis- 
dom of  this  world,  nor  of  the  princes  of  this  world,  that 
come  to  nought  But  we  speak  the  wisdom  of  God  in  a 
mystery,  even  the  hidden  wisdom  which  God  ordained 
before  the  world  unto  our  glory."  Now,  if  Paul  would 
not  preach  the  wisdom  of  men  or  the  world,  surely  the 
angel  would  not  instruct  John  to  use  the  wisdom  of 
man  or  of  this  world,  "  for  the  wisdom  of  this  world  is 
foolishness  with  God,"  1  Cor.  iii.  19.  And  if  Paul  said 
our  faith  should  not  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  neither 
would  John  have  given  any  thing  that  depended  on  the 
wisdom  of  men  for  a  foundation  of  our  faith.  But  Paul 
has  taught  us  what  true  wisdom  is,  by  saying,  "  Christ, 
the  power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God ; "  "  But  God 
hath  revealed  them  unto  us  by  his  Spirit,  for  the  Spirit 
searcheth  all  things,  yea,  the  deep  things  of  God."  And 
Paul  tells  us  how  we  may  exercise  this  wisdom,  1  Cor. 
ii.  13,  "  Which  things  also  we  speak,  not  in  the  words 
which  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
teacheth ;  comparing  spiritual  things  with  spiritual." 
Here,  then,  my  dear  hearer,  is  the  great  secret  of  wis- 
dom, to  compare  spiritual  things  with  spiritual ;  and  then 
we  have  the  mind  and  will  of  the  Spirit,  and  shall  not  be 
7* 


78  LECTURE    V. 

very  liable  to  err.    Let  us,  then,  follow  this  rale  while 
we  try  to  explain. 

II.  The  beast  numbered  in  the  text.  And, 
1st.  Let  us  inquire  what  beast  it  is.  I  answer,  It  is 
the  first  beast.  See  our  context,  12th  verse,  "  And  he 
exerciseth  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast  before  him ;  " 
that  is,  the  beast  which  John  saw  come  up  out  of  the 
sea,  (the  Roman  government,)  having  seven  heads  and 
ten  horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  crowns,  and  upon  his 
head  the  name  of  blasphemy  ;  and  the  beast  which  I  saw 
was  like  unto  a  leopard,  and  his  fee*  v;^re  as  the  feet 
of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion  ;  and  the 
dragon  gave  him  his  power,  and  his  seat,  and  great 
authority,"  By  this  beast,  I  understand  the  same  as 
Daniel's  fourth  kingdom,  the  Roman  government ;  by 
"  names  of  blasphemy,"  I  understand  a  mode  of  worship 
which  would  be  idolatrous  or  blasphemous ;  by  the 
dragon,  we  must  understand  the  civil  power  of  the  same 
government  giving  its  power  to  the  ecclesiastical  beast, 
whether  Pagan  or  Papal.  3d  verse,  «  And  I  saw  one 
of  his  heads,  (of  blasphemy,  Pagan)  as  it  were,  wounded 
to  death;  and  his  deadly  wound  was  healed,  (by  the 
substitution  of  the  Papal  blasphemous  head  ;)  and  all  the 
world  wondered  after  the  beast." 

John  then  goes  on  to  describe  the  civil  power  of  this 
Roman  government  under  this  last  head,  and  shows  the 
length  of  time  they  would  exercise  this  last  power  —  "  for- 
ty-two months"  —  which  is  the  same  as  Daniel's  time, 
times,  and  a  half,  or  John's  1260  days,  mentioned  Rev. 
xi.  3,  xii.  6.  His  power  to  make  war  and  overcome  the 
saints  is  foretold.  In  the  tenth  verse  he  shows  us  how 
this  civil  power  should  be  destroyed,  by  captivity  and 
the  sword ;  and  this  was  fulfilled  in  1798,  when  the  pope 
was  carried  a  captive  into  France,  and  the  states  of  Italy 
were  conquered  by  the  sword  of  the  French  army.  In 
the  11th  verse  he  gives  us  a  discovery  of  the  same  beast 
in  his  ecclesiastical  power;  Pagan  Rome  in  the  first 
beast,  and  Papacy  in  the  image  beast ;  and  it  will  be  evi- 
dent to  any  one  who  will  examine  the  chapter  carefully, 
that  John  was  not  commanded  to  number  the  image 
beast  —  for  the  civil  power   of  that  beast  was  before 


Christ's  second  coming.  79 

numbered  in  the  5th  verse,  —  but  the  beast  which  existed 
before  him,  which  the  Papal  ecclesiastical  beast  is  an 
image  of,  or  Daniel's  daily  sacrifice  abomination,  (Dan. 
xii.  11,)  the  one  which  Paul  said,  "he  who  now  letteth 
will  let,  until  he  be  taken  out  of  the  way." 

In  this  passage  it  is  evident  the  apostle  alludes  to  the 
same  power,  although  he  calls  it  the  "  working  of  Satan." 
John  also  gives  a  similar  description  in  Rev.  xii.  9, 
"  And  the  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent,  called 
the  Devil,  and  Satan,  which  deceiveth  the  whole  world: 
he  was  cast  out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast 
out  with  him."  But  I  have  another  evidence  that  the 
beast  numbered  was  Pagan  Rome,  and  I  think  it  must 
be  conclusive  testimony,  in  Rev.  xvii.  3.  In  this  chapter 
one  of  the  seven  angels  that  had  the  seven  vials  came  to 
instruct  John,  and  to  show  him  "the  judgment  of  the 
great  whore  with  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth  had  com- 
mitted fornication,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  have 
been  made  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  fornication." 
"  So  he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit  into  the  wilder- 
ness, and  I  saw  a  woman  sit  upon  a  scarlet-colored  beast, 
full  of  names  of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns." 

Here  the  same  idolatrous  beast,  having  seven  heads 
and  ten  horns,  is  described;  the  woman  sitting  upon 
this  beast  is  the  same  as  Daniel's  little  horn  which  came 
up  among  the  ten  horns,  and  shows  plainly  that  it  was 
that  part  of  Roman  power  which  was  prior  to  the  woman, 
and  was  of  course  called  the  first  beast.  When  John 
saw  this  woman  on  the  scarlet-colored  beast,  he  wondered 
with  great  admiration,  and  says,  Rev.  xvii.  7,  "  And  the 
angel  said  unto  me,  Wherefore  didst  thou  marvel  ?  I 
will  tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman  and  of  the  beast 
that  carrieth  her,  which  hath  the  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns.  Th»s  beast  that  thou  sawest  was,  and  is  not ;  and 
shall  ascend  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go  into  perdi- 
tion, and  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth  shall  wonder, 
whose  names  were  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world,  when  they  behold  the  beast 
that  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is."  "  That  was,"  Pagan 
Rome  before  John  saw  his  vision.  "  and  is  not,"  vet  in 


80  LECTURE    V. 

its  last  stage  of  Papal  Rome,  "  and  yet  is,"  m  the  same 
spirit,  for  Papal  Rome  is  but  an  image  of  Paganism,  as 
says  the  Apostle,  2  Thess.  ii.  6,  7,  "  And  now  ye  know 
what  withholdeth,  that  he  may  be  revealed  in  his  time, 
for  the  mystery  of  iniquity  doth  already  work."  And,  1 
John  ii.  18,  "Little  children,  it  is  the  last  time,  and  as 
ye  have  heard  that  anti-Christ  shall  come,  even  now  are 
there  many  anti-Christs,  whereby  we  know  it  is  the  last 
time."  And  again,  Rev.  xvii.  9,  "  And  here  is  the  mind 
which  hath  wisdom ;  "  evidently  referring  John  right 
back  to  our  text,  "  Here  is  wisdom ;  let  him  that  hath 
understanding,"  the  same  as  mind  in  the  above  quotation. 
"The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains  on  which  the 
woman  sitteth,  and  there  are  seven  kings  ;  five  are  fallen, 
one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come ;  and  when  he 
cometh,  he  must  continue  a  short  space,  and  the  beast 
that  was,  and  is  not  even  he  is  the  eighth,  and  is  of  the 
seven,  and  goeth  into  perdition."  These  texts  explain 
the  whole  matter ;  for  it  is  evident  that  the  beast  here 
alluded  to  was  the  seven-headed  monster  who  was  then 
in  existence  when  John  wrote,  for  five  of  its  executive 
fofms  of  government  (of  which  kings  and  mountains  are 
figures)  had  fallen.  Republican  Rome  had  five  different 
offices  under  that  particular  form  of  government  —  her 
senatorial,  tribunate,  consular,  decemvir,  and  triumvirate. 
These  were  fallen.  One  is,  (that  was  when  John  wrote 
his  prophecy,)  Imperial,  and  the  other  had  not  yet  come, 
Kingly,  which  is  the  same  as  the  ten  horns.  For  when 
the  Western  Empire  fell,  Rome  was  divided  into  ten 
kingdoms,  "  And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are 
ten  kings,  which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet ;  but 
receive  power  as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast."  These 
have  one  mind,  (that  is,  were  all  converted  to  the  Catho- 
lic faith,)  and  shall  give  their  power  and  strength  unto 
the  beast,  Papal  Rome.  "  These  shall  make  war  with 
the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  shall  overcome  them  ;  for  he  is 
Lord  of  lords  and  King  of  kings  ;  and  they  that  are  with 
him  are  called,  and  chosen,  and  faithful."  And  although 
this  beast,  whatever  form  it  may  assume,  whether 
Pagan  or  Papal,  may  for  a  season  tyrannize  over  and 
trample  on  the  followers  of  Christ,  through  the  agency 


Christ's  second  coming.  81 

ol  the  evil  power  of  empires,  kingdoms,  states,  or  repub- 
lics, yet  He  who  rules  over  all,  will,  in  the  end,  destroy 
all  these  powers,  and  himself  reign  King  of  kings  and 
Lord  over  all.  "  And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest 
upon  the  beast,  these  shall  hate  the  whore,  and  shall 
make  her  desolate  and  naked,  and  cut  her  flesh,  and  burn 
her  with  fire." 

This  text  has  been  literally  accomplished  within  a  few 
years ;  and  those  kingdoms  which  were  of  the  ten,  king- 
doms which  first  gave  power  to  the  beast,  have  of  late 
persecuted  and  destroyed  her,  who  is  the  abomination 
of  the  whole  earth.  Witness  the  transactions  of  Great 
Britain,  France,  Spain,  Portugal,  Austria,  Naples,  and 
Tuscany,  the  Seven  Kingdoms  which  were  not  plucked 
up  by  the  little  horn ;  each  of  these  nations  have  in  their 
turn  resisted  the  power  and  pretensions  of  the  Pope  of 
Rome,  until  his  civil  authority  is  reduced  to  a  cipher  in 
all  these  kingdoms.  "  For  God  hath  put  in  their  hearts 
to  fulfil  his  will,  and  to  agree  and  give  their  kingdom 
unto  the  beast,  until  the  words  of  God  shall  be  fulfilled." 
Then  must  the  Papal  beast,  the  image  of  Paganism,  be 
numbered  and  finished,  and  like  a  weighty  mill-stone 
sunk  in  the  deep,  he  must  with  the  Pagan  beast  sink 
forever  and  ever. 

Thus  we  seethe  two  beasts,  although  supported  by  the 
same  power,  "  the  great  red  dragon  or  Roman  kingdom," 
exercising  the  same  authority  over  the  bodies  and  souls 
of  men,  partaking  of  tne  same  spirit  of  Satan,  made  like 
each  other,  one  being  but  an  image  of  the  other,  having 
the  same  names  of  blasphemy  on  their  heads,  and  both 
having,  at  the  close  of  their  times,  the  same  ten  horns, 
and  both  have,  and  are  to  have,  their  civil  power 
destroyed  by  the  same  ten  horns.  Yet  we  see  them  kept 
separate  and  distinct.  Pagan  Rome  must  reign  his 
time,  and  then  the  ten  horns,  or  kings,  would  take  away 
.the  "  daily  sacrifice  abomination,"  and  place  in  his  stead 
the  "  abomination  that  maketh  desolate."  The  last 
abomination  was  numbered  in  the  same  chapter  where 
our  text  is  found,  "  forty  and  two  months."  And  why 
not  give  us  the  number  of  the  first  beast?  He  has: 
"Let  him  that  hath  understanding  count  the  number  of 


OS  LECTURE    V. 

the  beast ;  for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man  ;  and  his  num- 
ber is  six  hundred  threescore  and  six."  This  brings  us 
to  our  next  proposition. 

III.  To  show  what  we  may  understand  by  the  num 
bering  of  the  beast.     And, 

1st.  What  may  we  understand  by  numbering  any 
thing  of  this  kind  in  Scripture  ?  For  the  Scripture  must 
be  our  guide,  as  we  have  before  said. 

I  answer,  It  is  to  count,  to  finish,  or  to  destroy,  when 
used  in  a  figurative  sense,  or  in  prophetic  Scripture,  as  in 
Isa.  xxii.  10,  "  And  ye  have  numbered  the  houses  of  Je- 
rusalem, and  the  houses  have  ye  broken  down  to  fortify 
the  wall."  They  were  accused  by  the  prophet  of  de- 
stroying houses,  by  numbering  them  or  counting  them 
for  destruction.  Also  see  Isa.  lxv.  12,  "  Therefore  will 
I  number  you  to  the  sword,  and  ye  shall  all  bow  down  to 
the  slaughter."  Here  again  it  is  used  in  the  same  sense : 
I  will  reckon  or  count  you  to  the  sword.  Again,  Dan, 
v.  25, 26,  "  And  this  is  the  hand- writing  that  was  written : 
Mene,  mene,  tekel,  upharsin.  This  is  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  thing :  mene,  God  hath  numbered  thy  king- 
dom and  hath  finished  it." 

As,  therefore,  the  idolatrous  and  blasphemous  king- 
dom of  Babylon  was  numbered  and  finished  by  God, 
whose  decree  was  conveyed  by  the  hand-writing  on  the 
wall  to  the  knowledge  of  Daniel  and  others,  so  was 
John  commanded,  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
to  write  in  this  last  book  of  prophecy,  the  mene,  tekel, 
of  this  last  idolatrous  Pagan  beast.  "  Here  is  wisdom." 
Let  a  wise  Daniel,  or  him  that  hath  the  wisdom  of 
God  like  a  Daniel,  or  "  let  him  that  hath  understanding  " 
in  the  word  of  God,  or  him  that  will  compare  scrip- 
ture with  scripture,  "  count  the  number  of  tire  beast," 
or  the  number  of  his  name. 

Let  us  inquire  what  is  the  name  of  this  beast  His 
name  is  blasphemy,  because  he  causes  all,  both  high  and 
low,  rich  and  poor,  bond  and  free,  to  worship  stocks  and 
stones,  idols  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  wood,  that  can  nei- 
ther see,  hear,  nor  talk.  See  the  1st  verse  of  our  con- 
text, "  and  upon  his  head  the  name  of  blasphemy"  which 
teaches  us  what  the  name  of  this  beast  is,  and  shows  us 


Christ's  second  coming.  83 

that  we  are  to  count,  or  reckon,  how  long  before  the 
blasphemies  of  this  Pagan  power  will  be  finished ;  "  for 
it  is  the  number  of  a  man."  And  what,  you  may  inquire, 
is  the  number  of  a  man  ?  I  answer  again,  We  must  apply 
to  God's  word  "  the  number  of  a  man." 

Moses  says,  Exodus  xxiii.  26,  "  The  number  of  thy 
days  I  will  fulfil."  Job,  speaking  of  man,  says,  xiv.  5, 
"Seeing  his  days  are  determined,  the  number  of  his 
months  is  with  thee,  thou  hast  appointed  his  bounds  that 
he  cannot  pass."  David  says,  Ps.  xc.  12,  "  So  teach  us 
to  number  our  days,  that  we  may  apply  our  hearts  unto 
wisdom."  Therefore,  we  may  reasonably  conclude  that 
the  "  number  of  a  man  "  is  the  number  of  his  days ;  and 
the  Scriptures  often  speak  of  man  in  connection  with  his 
time  of  sojourn  on  the  earth,  calling  it  days ;  as,  "  few  and 
evil  have  been  the  days  of  my  pilgrimage  ; "  "  died,  being 
old  and  full  of  days  ; "  "  length  of  days  is  in  her  right 
hand ;  "  "  all  the  days  of  thy  life  ; "  "  I  will  wait  all  the 
days  of  rny  appointed  time  until  my  change  come."  If 
this  is  the  understanding  of  this  part  of  our  text,  which  I 
cannot  see  any  reason  to  doubt,  then  our  text  has  this 
plain  meaning.  Here  is  need  of  spiritual  wisdom.  Let 
him  that  hath  understanding  count  the  number  of  his 
days;  for  his  days  are  numbered  as  a  man's;  they  are 
six  hundred  threescore  and  six.  This  power  (Rome 
Pagan)  would  be  taken  away  when  his  six  hundred  and 
sixty-six  prophetic  days  should  end ;  and  this  brings  us 
to  show  when  those  days  began,  and  of  course  when 
they  ended. 

They  must  have  begun  when  the  Jewish  rites  and 
ceremonies  were  in  being ;  for  this  was  the  sole  object 
of  Paganism,  to  counteract  the  Jewish  rituals  and  draw 
the  Jewish  worshippers  into  idolatry,  and  to  blend  the 
heathen  rites  with  theirs.  They  must  have  begun  be- 
fore Christ  was  born,  for  the  great  red  dragon  having 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns  was  to  stand  before  the  woman, 
(the  Jewish  Church,)  ready  to  devour  the  man  child  as 
soon  as  it  was  born.  They  could  not  have  begun  before 
they  became  connected  with  the  Jews,  for  the  reason 
that  no  nation  is  prophesied  of,  or  noticed  in  the  proph- 
ecies, except  they  are  somehow  connected  with  the 


84  LECTURE    V. 

people  of  God  ;  and  for  the  very  reason  that  this  beast 
was  to  tread  down  the  Jews,  and  finally,  by  cunning,  de- 
ceit, and  intrigue,  destroy  the  city  and  nation  of  the  Jews, 
then  1  think  the  fairest  conclusion  is,  that  when  they  be- 
came connected  with  the  Jews  by  league,  and  when  they 
had  conquered  Daniel's  third  kingdom,  the  Grecian. 
Then,  and  not  until  then,  had  the  Romans  any  part  in 
this  prophecy.  This  agrees  with  the  angel's  statement, 
Dan.  xi.  23,  "  After  the  league  made  with  him,  (that  is, 
Romans,)  he  shall  work  deceitfully,  and  become  strong 
with  a  small  (republican)  people."  This  league  was 
made  between  the  Romans  and  the  Jews,  ratified  and 
carried  into  effect  when  the  Greeks  under  Bachides  left 
besieging  Jerusalem,  upon  the  command  of  the  Romans, 
and,  as  Josephus  and  Maccabees  tell  us,  never  returned 
to  trouble  them  (the  Jews)  any  more.  This  league, 
then,  took  effect  when  the  third  kingdom  in  Daniel's 
vision  ceased  harassing  the  Jews,  and  the  fourth  king- 
dom began  its  rule  over  the  Jews  and  the  world.  This 
was  in  the  year  B.  C.  158.  Let  those  who  wish  to  be 
satisfied  of  the  correctness  of  the  foregoing  statements 
read  the  8th  and  9th  chapters  of  the  1st  Maccabees, 
and  Josephus,  B.  XII.  chapter  x.  sec.  6,  of  his  Antiquities. 
Then,  if  this  be  correct,  that  Pagan  Rome  began  his 
power  in  the  year  B.  C.  158,  and  was  to  continue  666 
years,  when  would  Paganism  fall  in  the  H.c™*n  kingdom, 
and  the  "  daily  sacrifice  abomination  "  be  taken  out  of 
the  way  to  make  room  for  the  abomination  of  desolation  ? 
I  answer,  Take  158  from  666  and  you  will  have  508. 
Then  in  the  year  A.  D.  508  Paganism  ceased. 

What  is  the  history  of  that  time  ?  I  answer,  that 
about  the  year  A.  D.  476  the  Western  Empire  of  Rome 
crumbled  to  pieces,  and  the  Pagan  nations  of  the  north, 
crossing  the  Rhine  and  the  Danube,  established  ten 
kingdoms  in  what  was  considered  the  Western  Empire. 
France  was  the  principal  kingdom  of  the  ten.  These 
kingdoms  were  all  governed  by  Pagan  kings  ;  and  his- 
tory informs  us  that  in  the  city  of  Rome  and  other  places 
in  the  empire  these  Pagan  conquerors  sacrificed  men, 
women,  and  children  to  their  supposed  deities ;  and 
that  in  the  year  496  Clovis  king  of  France  was  converted 


Christ's  second  coming,  85 

and  baptized  into  the  Christian  faith ;  and  that  the  re- 
mainder of  these  kings  embraced  the  religion  of  Christ 
shortly  after,  the  last  of  which  was  Christianized  in  the 
year  508,  and  of  course  Paganism  ceased,  having  lost 
its  head  by  the  power  of  the  sword,  or  kings  who  wield 
the  sword.  Here,  then,  was  the  accomplishment  of  two 
important  prophecies  —  the  daily  sacrifice  abomination 
taken  out  of  the  way,  and  the  Pagan  beast  receiving 
its  deadly  wound  by  a  sword  ;  since  which  time  we  have 
no  account  of  any  Pagan  rites  or  sacrifices  being  offered 
within  the  bounds  of  ancient  Rome.  How  exactly  has 
the  word  of  God  been  accomplished !  How  just  and 
true  are  all  the  ways  of  the  God  of  heaven !  And  how 
blind  are  mortals  that  they  cannot  see  their  own  destiny 
in  the  rise  and  fall  of  others  !  I  am  astonished  sometimes 
when  I  reflect  on  the  simple  truths  of  the  word  of  God, 
the  exact  fulfilment  of  the  prophecies,  that  more  do  not 
believe,  repent,  and  turn  to  God. 
8 


LECTURE    VI. 


DANIEL  x.  14. 


Now  I  am  come  to  make  thee  understand  what  shall  befall  thy 
people  in  the  latter  days  5  for  yet  the  vision  is  for  many  days. 


This  is  the  third  time  the  angel  Gabriel  came  to  in- 
struct Daniel.  The  first  time  was  when  Daniel  had  the 
vision  of  the  he-goat,  Daniel  viii.  16.  This  was  553 
years  before  Christ.  The  second  time  he  came  was 
when  Daniel  was  praying  for  the  deliverance  of  his  peo- 
ple from  their  Babylonish  captivity,  fifteen  years  after 
the  first  visit,  when  he  instructed  him  into  the  seventy 
weeks,  and  crucifixion  of  the  Messiah.  Now  he  has 
come  in  the  third  year  of  Cyrus  the  Persian,  in  the  534 
B.  C,  21  years  after  Daniel  had  his  vision  of  the  four 
beasts,  nineteen  after  the  he-goat,  and  four  years  after 
the  seventy  weeks'  instruction. 

After  informing  Daniel  his  purpose,  as  in  our  text, 
and  making  some  preliminary  observations  concerning 
the  vision  in  the  remainder  of  the  tenth  chapter,  he  be- 
gins his  teachings  to  Daniel,  and  through  him  to  us, 
with  the  first  of  the  11th  chapter.  1st  verse,  he  tells 
who  he,  the  heavenly  messenger,  is  —  the  same  who 
confirmed  Daniel  in  the  seventy  weeks.  See  Daniel 
ix.  1,  21.  And  in  the  second  verse  he  begins  with  the 
fifth  king  of  Persia,  the  very  same  king  who  issued  the 
decree  to  Ezra  to  go  up  and  build  the  walls  of  Jerusa- 
lem, which  began  our  seventy  weeks,  Daniel  ix.  25 ; 
Ezra  vii.  1 — 14.  For  the  first  Persian  king  was  then  on 
the  throne,  Daniel  x.  1,  which  was  the  third  year  of  the 


Christ's  second  coming.  87 

reign  of  Cyrus,  king  of  Persia.  This  was  the  same 
Cyrus  who  was  general  and  son-in-law  to  Darius  the 
Mede,  that  conquered  Babylon.  Besides  whom  "  there 
should  be  yet  three  kings,"  which  three  kings  were 
Artaxerxes,  Darius,  and  Ahasuerus,  as  they  are  named 
in  Scripture.  See  Ezra,  iv.  v.  and  vi.  chapters.  I  am 
aware  that  history  has  named  four  where  Scripture  has 
only  named  three.  History  names,  1,  Cambyses  ;  2, 
Smerdis,  same  as  Artaxerxes  above  named  in  Scripture  ; 
3,  Darius,  son  of  Hystaspes,  same  as  above  ;  4,  Xerxes, 
same  as  Scripture  calls  Ahasuerus.  Why  the  Scripture 
did  not  name  Cambyses,  if  there  was  such  a  king,  I  am 
not  able  to  tell,  unless  his  reign  was  so  short  (which  all 
historians  agree  in)  that  he  had  no  hand  in  building  or 
hindering  the  building  of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  as 
the  other  three  kings  had,  which  Ezra  has  named.  But 
as  Gabriel  did  not  come  to  tell  Daniel  any  thing  which 
was  not  "  noted  in  the  Scripture  of  truth,"  (see  Daniel 
x.  21,  "  But  I  will  show  thee  that  which  is  noted  in  the 
Scripture  of  truth,")  therefore  the  language  of  our 
text  now  under  examination  will  be  this  —  "There  shall 
stand  up  yet  three  kings  in  Persia,  (noted  in  the  Scripture 
of  truth,)  and  the  fourth  shall  be  far  richer  than  they 
all,"  &c.  This  fourth  king  was  Artaxerxes  Longimanus, 
and  is  the  same  king  noted  in  Ezra  vii.,  and  the  first  and 
only  king  of  Persia  "  noted  in  the  Scriptures,"  who  ever 
gave  a  decree  to  rebuild  the  walls  and  streets  of  Jeru- 
salem, especially  in  troublous  times.  We  may  therefore 
reasonably  and  conclusively  determine  that  the  mes- 
senger Gabriel  begins  his  instruction  with  this  king's 
reign,  the  5th  king  noted  in  Scripture.  And  if  so,  we 
have  another  strong  and  forcible  evidence  that  Daniel's 
vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat  began  with  the  seventy 
weeks,  457  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  and  490 
years,  or  70  prophetic  weeks,  before  his  death,  Dan.  xi. 
3,  4.  We  have  the  plain  history  of  Alexander,  the  con- 
queror of  the  world,  his  death,  and  division  of  the  king- 
dom into  four  great  empires.  Hear  what  Gabriel  says 
of  him  more  than  200  years  before  the  event  happened, 
and  learn,  ye  skeptics,  the  evidence  that  this  prophecy 
is  of  divine  origin.    "  And  a  mighty  king  shall  stand  up 


88  LECTURE    VI. 

that  shall  rule  with  great  dominion,  and  do  according'  to 
his  will.  And  when  he  shall  stand  up,  his  kingdom 
shall  be  broken,  and  shall  be  divided  toward  the  four 
winds  of  heaven,  and  not  to  his  posterity,  nor  according 
to  his  dominion  which  he  ruled ;  for  his  kingdom  shall 
be  plucked  up,  even  for  others  besides  those,"  (that  is, 
his  posterity.) 

Need  I,  then,  tell  my  hearers  that  history  tells  us  that 
Alexander  conquered  the  then  known  world  in  about  six 
years,  and  that  he  died  323  years  B.  C.  at  Babylon  ;  that 
his  kingdom  was  divided  among  his  greatest  generals, 
from  which  division  arose  four  gTeat  kingdoms,  Egypt  in 
the  south,  Persia  in  the  east,  Syria  in  the  north,  and 
Macedonia  in  the  west,  which  kingdoms  lasted  until 
conquered  by  the  Romans  ?  Between  the  years  190  and 
30  B.C.  nearly  all  these  kingdoms  became  Roman  prov- 
inces. From  Daniel  xi.  5,  13,  inclusive,  we  have  a 
prophecy  of  the  two  principal  kingdoms  out  of  these  four 
—  Egypt  and  Syria ;  and  any  one  who  may  have  the  cu- 
riosity to  see  the  exact  agreement  between  the  prophecy 
and  history,  can  read  Rollin's  Ancient  History,  where  he 
has  not  only  given  us  the  history,  but  applied  this  proph- 
ecy. And  as  I  see  no  reason  to  disagree  from  him  in  his 
application  of  these  texts,  I  shall,  therefore,  for  brevity's 
sake,  pass  over  these  texts,  and  examine  the  text,  Dan.  xi. 
14, "  And  in  those  times  there  shall  many  stand  up  against 
the  king  of  the  south ;  also,  the  robbers  of  thy  people 
shall  exalt  themselves  to  establish  the  vision ;  but  they 
shall  ie  11."  The  king  of  the  south,  in  this  verse,  without 
any  doabt,  means  king  of  Egypt ;  but  what  the  robbers 
of  thy  people  means  remains  yet  a  doubt  perhaps  to  some. 
That  it  cannot  mean  Antiochus,  or  any  king  of  Syria,  it  is 
plain ;  for  the  angel  had  been  talking  about  that  nation  for 
a  number  of  verses  previous,  and  now  says,  "also  the 
robbers  of  thy  people,"  &c,  evidently  implying  some 
other  nation.  I  will  admit  that  Antiochus  did  perhaps 
rob  the  Jews  ;  but  how  could  this  "  establish  the  vision," 
as  Antiochus  is  not  spoken  of  any  where  in  the  vision  as 
performing  any  act  of  that  kind ;  for  he  belonged  to  what 
is  called  the  Grecian  kingdom  in  the  vision.  Again,  "  to 
establish  the  vision"  must  mean  to  make  sure,  complete, 
or  fulfil  the  same.     And  if  it  cannot  be  shown  that  the 


Christ's  second  coming.  89 

Grecian  kingdom  was  to  rob  the  people  of  God,  1  think 
it  must  mean  some  other  nation  which  would  do  these 
acts,  to  which  every  word  will  apply.  And  to  this  we 
need  not  be  at  a  loss  ;  for  at  this  very  time  of  which  the 
angel  is  speaking,  Rome,  the  least  kingdom  in  Daniel's 
vision,  did  exalt  itself,  and  this  kingdom  did  have  the  very 
marks  in  the  vision,  and  in  the  events  following.  This 
kingdom  was  to  have  great  iron  teeth;  it  was  to  break  in 
pieces,  and  stamp  the  residue  with  the  feet  of  it.  The 
vision  also  says,  "  He  shall  destroy  wonderfully,  and 
shall  prosper  and  practise,  and  shall  destroy  the  mighty 
and  holy  people,  and  that  ije  should  magnify  himself," 
&c,  the  same  as  exalt  himself,  Daniel  vii.  7,  23 ;  viii. 
10 — 12, 24,  25  verses.  And  it  cannot  be  denied  but  that 
the  Jews  have  been  robbed  of  their  city  and  sanctuary 
by  the  Romans,  and  the  Christian  church  has  been  per- 
secuted and  robbed  by  this  dreadful  beast,  the  Roman 
kingdom.  It  is  evident  too  that  when  this  kingdom  falls, 
the  vision  will  be  completed,  fulfilled,  established  :  "  but 
they  shall  fall,"  says  the  angel  in  the  verse  under  our 
present  examination;  "they  shall  fall;"  that  is,  the  ten 
horns  in  this  fourth  kingdom,  when  the  vision  is  fulfilled 
or  established,  and  when  the  stone  cut  out  of  the  moun- 
tain without  hands  shall  grind  them  to  powder.  We 
will  take  the  15th,  "So  the  king  of  the  north  "  (Rome 
is  now  the  king  of  the  north,  because  they  had  conquered 
the  Macedonian  kingdom,  and  had  become  masters  of  the 
countries  north  and  east  before  they  attacked  Egypt) 
"  shall  come  and  cast  up  a  mount,  and  take  the  most 
fenced  cities  ;  and  the  arms  of  the  south  shall  not  with- 
stand, neither  his  chosen  people,  neither  shall  there  be 
any  strength  to  withstand."  This  was  about  fifty  years 
before  Christ,  when  Pompey,  a  Roman  general,  con- 
quered Egypt,  and  made  that  kingdom  tributary  to  the 
Romans,  and  afterwards  entered  Jerusalem,  and  made 
them  subjects  of  the  Roman  government.  See  verses 
16  and  17,  "  But  he  that  cometh  against  him  "  (Pompey 
coming  against  Egypt)  "  shall  do  according  to  his  own 
will,  and  none  shall  stand  before  him,  and  he  shall  stand 
in  the  glorious  land  which  by  his  hand  shall  be  con- 
sumed.   He  shall  also  set  his  face  to  enter  with  the 


90  LECTURE    VI. 

strength  of  his  whole  kingdom,  and  upright  ones  with 
him,"  (or  men  of  equal  conditions,  as  it  might  have  been 
rendered.)  The  Roman  army,  of  which  Pompey  had  the 
command,  when  he  went  into  Egypt  and  Palestine,  were 
composed  of  the  sons  of  all  the  principal  citizens  of 
Rome,  who  were,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  republic, 
to  serve  ten  years  in  the  service  of  their  country  before 
they  were  admitted  to  receive  the  high  offices  which 
they  might  afterwards  be  candidates  for.  This  accounts 
for  the  language  just  read  in  the  text  —  "upright  ones 
with  him."  And  "  thus  shall  he  do  :  he  shall  give  him 
the  daughter  of  woman,  corrupting  her;  but  she  shall 
not  stand  on  his  side  nor  be  for  him."  When  Pompey 
went  into  Egypt,  he  found  that  country  divided  between 
Ptolemy  and  Cleopatra.  Pompey,  after  he  had  made 
them  tributary  to  the  Romans,  compelled  them  to  settle 
their  differences  by  marriage.  Afterwards,  when  Julius 
Caesar  came  against  Pompey  with  his  western  veterans, 
with  whom  he  had  conquered  the  west  part  of  Europe.,, 
and  in  the  battle  fought  between  these  two  contending 
rivals,  Pompey  and  Julius  Csesar,  Cleopatra  had  the 
command  of  the  Egyptian  fleet  on  the  side  of  Pompey  ; 
but  in  the  midst  of  the  action  she  deserted  over  to  Csesar 
with  her  whole  fleet,  which  turned  the  fortune  of  the 
day  in  favor  of  Julius  Csesar.  Pompey  then  fled  into 
the  Grecian  isles,  where  he  compelled  many  of  them  to 
declare  in  his  favor.  But  Csesar  soon  followed  him,  and 
at  the  battle  of  Pharsalia  completely  defeated  Pompey, 
who  was  slain  by  a  band  of  pirates  or  robbers.  This 
part  we  have  in  the  18th  verse,  "  After  this  shall  he 
(Pompey)  turn  his  face  unto  the  isles,  and  shall  take 
many  ;  but  a  prince  (Csesar)  for  his  own  behalf  shall 
cause  the  reproach  offered  by  him  (Pompey)  to  cease  ; 
without  his  own  (Csesar)  reproach  he  shall  cause  it  to 
turn  upon  him,  (Pompey  :)  19th  verse,  "  Then  he  (Csesar) 
shall  turn  his  face  towards  the  fort  of  his  own  land  ; 
but  he  shall  stumble  and  fall,  and  not  be  found."  The 
history  of  Caesar's  death  is  familiar  to  every  school-boy. 
After  he  had  conquered  Pompey,  he  returned  to  Rome, 
entered  the  city  in  triumph,  and  a  few  days  after,  when 
he  was  about  to  be  crowned  Emperor,  he  was  slain  in 


Christ's  second  coming.  91 

the  senate-house,  before  Pompey's  pillar,  by  his  own 
friends;  "he  stumbled  and  fell,  and  was  not  found." 
20th  verse,  "  Then  shall  stand  up  in  his  estate  a  raiser 
of  taxes,  in  the  glory  of  the  kingdom  ;  but  within  a  few 
days  he  shall  be  destroyed,  neither  in  anger  nor  in 
battle."  This  verse  describes  Octavius  Caesar,  who  first 
taxed  the  Roman  provinces,  Judea  being  taxed  (see 
Luke  ii.  1,  5)  when  our  Savior  was  born ;  but  Octavius 
Caesar,  afterwards  called  Augustus  Caesar,  was  not 
slain  like  his  uncle  Julius,  nor  like  his  successors  ;  but 
died  peaceably  in  his  bed.  21st  and  22d  verses,  "  And 
in  his  estate  shall  stand  up  a  vile  person,  to  whom  they 
shall  not  give  the  honor  of  the  kingdom ;  but  he  shall 
come  in  peaceably,  and  obtain  the  kingdom  by  flatteries. 
And  with  the  arms  of  a  flood  shall  they  be  overthrown 
from  before  him,  and  shall  be  broken;  yea,  also,  the 
prince  of  the  covenant."  In  these  two  verses  we  have 
the  history  of  Tiberius  Caesar,  who  was  the  successor  of 
Octavius  Caesar  in  the  Roman  empire  ;  and  was  one  of 
the  most  vile,  profligate,  bloody  tyrants  that  ever  sat 
upon  the  Roman  throne.  History  gives  us  the  same 
account,  that  he  obtained  by  flatteries  the  kingdom,  and 
afterwards  ruled  it  by  tyranny.  He  also  assumed  the 
name  of  Augustus.  In  his  reign  Christ  was  crucified, 
"  the  Prince  of  the  covenant  was  broken."  Here  ends 
the  history  of.  the  seventy  weeks.  This  prophetic  his- 
tory being  divided  into  four  divisions,  the  first  part  is 
the  history  of  the  seventy  weeks,  to  which  we  have  been 
attending,  which  began  in  the  seventh  year  of  Arta- 
xerxes'  reign,  and  ended  in  the  22d  year  of  Tiberius 
Caesar's,  being  four  hundred  and  ninety  years  ;  the  second 
part  will  be  the  history  of  Pagan  Rome,  which  begins 
with  the  first  league  made  between  the  Romans  and  the 
Jews,  and  will  carry  us  down  six  hundred  and  sixty-six 
years.  You  will  likewise  observe  that  the  angel  goes 
back  and  begins  this  history  with  the  league.  22d  verse, 
"  And  after  the  league  made  with  him  he  shall  work 
deceitfully :  he  shall  come  up,  and  shall  become  strong 
with  a  small  people." 

Let  us  in  the  first  place  inquire,  Between  whom  is  this 
league  made  ?  The  Romans  must  be  one  of  the  contract- 


92  LECTURE    VI. 

ing  parties,  from  the  fact  that  the  angel  is  talking  about 
that  government  before  and  afterwards,  and  that  the 
fourth  or  Roman  kingdom  was  to  work  deceitfully,  "  and 
through  his  policy  also  he  shall  cause  craft  to  prosper  in 
his  hand."  See  Daniel  viii.  25.  And  also  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  their  being  a  small  or  republican  people  at 
first,  Rome,  too,  was  small  in  territory  at  this  time,  al- 
though many  nations  and  kingdoms  were  tributary  unto 
them ;  but  who  was  the  other  contracting  party  in  this 
league?  T  answer,  It  must  have  been  some  people  whom 
the  angel  had  in  view ;  and  he,  Daniel,  had  the  same  in 
view,  or  he  would  have  given  some  mark  by  which  Dan- 
iel or  the  reader  could  have  come  to  a  just  conclusion. 
Yes,  this  was  the  case ;  for  he  had  told  Daniel  in  the 
very  outset,  "  Now  I  am  come  to  make  thee  understand 
what  shall  befall  thy  people  in  the  latter  days."  See  our 
text.  This,  then,  is  the  key  that  unlocks  the  whole  sub- 
ject, and  explains  two  important  points  in  the  vision. 
First,  it  teaches  who  are  the  subjects  of  this  vision;  and, 
secondly,  when  and  how  the  Roman  kingdom  became 
connected  with  the  vision.  If  I  am  thus  far  correct,  then 
the  angel  has  reference  to  the  league  made  Aviththe  Ro- 
mans 158  years  B.  C,  when  the  Grecian  general  Bachi- 
des  withdrew  his  army  from  before  Jerusalem,  and  never 
returned  to  vex  the  Jews  any  more,  as  says  1  Maccabees 
ix.  72.  For  the  history  of  this  league,  you  can  read  1 
Maccabees  viii.  and  Josephus  B.  XII.  chap.  x.  sec.  6. 
This  league  was  the  first  ever  made  between  the  Romans 
and  the  Jews,  according  to  Josephus.  It  took  effect 
158  years  B.  C,  when  the  Grecian  kingdom,  at  the 
command  of  the  Romans,  ceased  to  trouble  the  Jews,  and 
the  Romans  began  to  work  deceitfully.  Then  began  the 
Pagan  beast  to  exercise  his  influence  over  the  people 
of  God.  And  now  let  us  pursue  his  history  as  given  by 
the  angel  Gabriel,  24th  verse,  "  He  shall  enter  peace- 
ably, even  upon  the  fattest  places  of  the  province  ;  and 
he  shall  do  that  which  his  fathers  have  not  done,  nor  his 
fathers'  fathers ;  he  shall  scatter  among  them  the  prey, 
and  spoil,  and  riches  ;  yea,  he  shall  forecast  his  devices 
against  the  strong  holds  even  for  a  time."    This  verse 


Christ's  second  coming.  93 

is  a  true  history  of  the  rise  of  the  Roman  power ;  they 
did  scatter  the  prey  and  spoil  among  the  provinces,  and 
conquered  more  nations  by  their  munificence  and  be- 
nevolence in  the  outset,  than  by  their  arms  or  battles. 
Rome  bought  more  nations  by  riches  and  intrigue  than 
she  conquered  in  war ;  and  she  compelled  the  Jews  to 
submit  for  about  two  centuries  to  that  which  no  nation 
before  had  been  able  ever  to  do,  viz.,  to  be  ruled  by  kings, 
governors,  and  high  priests,  appointed  by  the  Romans, 
and  not  chosen  by  themselves.  25th  verse,  "  And  he 
shall  stir  up  his  power  and  his  courage  against  the  king 
of  the  south  with  a  great  army ;  and  the  king  of  the 
south  shall  be  stirred  up  to  battle  with  a  very  great  and 
mighty  army  ;  but  he  shall  not  stand  ;  for  they  shall 
forecast  devices  against  him."  This  is  a  description  of 
the  war  in  Egypt,  under  the  government  of  Mark  Antony 
and  Octavius  Caesar.  "Yea,  they  that  feed  of  the  por- 
tion of  his  meat  shall  destroy  him,  and  his  army  shall 
overflow,  and  many  shall  fall  down  slain."  When  An- 
tony went  into  Egypt  with  a  great  army,  Cleopatra,  then 
queen  of  Egypt,  deserted  her  husband's  standard,  as  she 
had  before  Pompey's,  and  went  over  to  Mark  Antony 
with  all  the  forces  she  could  command,  by  which  means 
Egypt  became  an  easy  prey  to  the  Romans  ;  so  that  a 
part  of  the  Egyptian  army,  that  fed  of  the  portion  of  the 
king's  meat,  were  the  means  of  destroying  the  kingdom. 
"  And  both  of  these  kings'  hearts  shall  be  to  do  mischief, 
and  they  shall  speak  lies  at  one  table ;  but  it  shall  not 
prosper ;  for  yet  the  end  shall  be  at  the  time  appointed." 
These  two  kings  are  Antony  and  Octavius,  their  char- 
acters agreeing  with  the  description  given  in  this  pas- 
sage; history  agreeing  that  they  ruled  over  the  Romans 
for  a  season  jointly,  and  that  they  were  both  of  them 
great  deceivers  and  liars.  History  also  informs  us  that 
after  Antony  had  conquered  Egypt,  he  and  Octavius 
quarrelled ;  Octavius  Cassar  declared  war  against  An- 
tony, marched  an  army  towards  Egypt,  and  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Actium  defeated  Antony  and  Cleopatra's  forces, 
afterwards  took  Alexandria  in  Egypt,  and  Antony  and 
Cleopatra  put  themselves  to  death,  and  Egypt  becomes 
a  Roman  province.    This  wis  thirty  years  before  the 


94  LECTURE    VI. 

birth  of  Christ.  28,  "  Then  shall  he  return  into  his  land 
with  great  riches ;  and  his  heart  shall  be  against  the 
holy  covenant ;  and  he  shall  do  exploits  and  return  to 
his  own  land."  Then  Octavius  returned  to  Rome. 
And  the  next  exploit  that  this  fourth  kingdom  would  do 
would  he  against  the  holy  covenant.  They,  by  their 
authority,  crucified  our  Savior,  persecuted  the  saints, 
and  destroyed  Jerusalem ;  and  this  fills  up  the  acts  of 
this  Pagan  history  until  towards  the  close  of  the  reign 
of  the  Pagan  beast.  29,  "  At  the  time  appointed,  he 
shall  return,  and  come  toward  the  south  ;  but  it  shall  not 
be  as  the  former,  or  as  the  latter."  The  time  appointed 
must  mean  the  length  of  the  reign  of  this  beast,  whose 
history  the  angel  is  now  giving,  which  I  have  shown,  in 
a  former  lecture,  is  666  years.  "  He  shall  return,  and 
come  towards  the  south,"  not  as  the  former  or  latter. 
Not  as  the  Romans  going  into  Egypt,  the  latter ;  nor 
the  Syrians  going  into  Egypt,  as  the  former ;  but  Italy 
must  now  take  her  turn  to  be  overrun  by  the  northern 
barbarians.  Therefore  the  angel  says,  in  the  next  verse, 
see  30,  (  "  For  the  ships  of  Chittim  shall  come  against 
him ; ")  the  meaning  of  which  is,  that  the  Huns,  which 
lived  on  the  north  of  the  Adriatic  Sea,  the  place  where 
it  was  anciently  called  Chittim,  under  their  leader  Attila, 
(surnamed  the  Scourge  of  God,)  should  ravage  the  Ro- 
man empire.  This  was  fulfilled  447  years  after  Christ. 
"  Therefore  he  shall  be  grieved  and  return,  and  have  in- 
dignation against  the  holy  covenant ;  so  shall  he  do  ;  he 
shall  return,  and  have  intelligence  with  them  that  for- 
sake the  holy  covenant." 

About  the  time  that  Attila  ravaged  the  Roman  empire, 
Christians  conceived  it  to  be  a  judgment  of  God  upon 
the  Romans  for  their  idolatry  and  wickedness,  refused 
to  bear  arms  in  favor  of  the  Roman  emperors,  which  led 
to  a  bloody  persecution  of  Christians,  and  a  renewal  of 
Pagan  rites  and  sacrifices,  which  had  been  partially  sus- 
pended during  the  reign  of  Constantine  and  succeeding 
emperors,  except  in  the  case  of  Julian  the  Apostate. 
"  And  arms  shall  stand  on  his  part,"  that  is,  the  force  of 
the  empire  would  be  on  the  side  of  Paganism  "  And 
they  shall  pollute  the  sanctuary  of  strength."     They,  in 


Christ's  second  coming.  95 

this  passage,  mean  the  governments  or  kings,  established 
on  the  fall  of  the  Roman  empire  in  the  west,  by  the 
Huns,  Goths  and  Vandals  of  the  north.  "By  sanctuary  of 
strength,"  is  meant  Rome.  And  it  is  said  that  at  the 
time  that  Rome  was  taken,  men,  women,  and  children 
were  sacrificed  to  their  Pagan  deities.  "  And  shall 
take  away  the  daily  sacrifice."  The  angel  is  giving  us 
a  history  of  what  these  kings  would  do,  when  Rome 
should  be  divided  into  its  ten  toes,  or  when  the  ten  horns 
should  arise,  which  the  angel  has  heretofore  explained 
to  mean  ten  kings,  Daniel  vii.  24.  This  is  evident  by 
his  using  the  plural  pronoun  instead  of  the  singular,  as 
before,  or  as  he  will  following,  when  the  little  horn  ob- 
tains the  power.  To  "  take  away  the  daily  sacrifice," 
means  to  destroy  Paganism  out  of  the  kingdom.  This 
was  done  by  those  ten  kings  who  now  ruled  the  Roman 
empire,  and  would  for  a  little  season,  until  they  should 
give  their  power  to  the  image  beast.  "  And  they  shall 
place  the  abomination  that  maketh  desolate."  They, 
meaning  the  ten  kings,  shall  place,  shall  put  in  the  room 
ox  place,  of  the  daily  sacrifice  or  Pagan  beast  which  Avould 
now  receive  its  death  wound  by  the  sword,  that  is,  by  the 
civil  power  of  this  fourth  kingdom,  under  the  reigning 
power  of  these  ten  kings  ;  for  John  tells  us,  Rev.  xvii. 
32,13,  "And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten 
kings,  which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet;  but 
shall  receive  power  as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast ; 
these  have  one  mind,  (being  all  Pagans,)  and  shall  give 
their  power  and  strength  unto  the  beast ;"  that  is,  to  sup- 
port Paganism.  Now,  this  was  evidently  fulfilled  ;  for 
after  the  fall  of  the  Western  Empire,  A.  D.  476,  and  be- 
fore A.  D.  490,  ten  kings  had  risen  upon  the  ruins,  and 
formed  ten  separate  kingdoms,  the  names  of  which  I 
have  before  given;  they  all  being  Pagans,  of  course 
they  supported  that  form  of  worship,  until  they  were  con- 
verted to  the  Christian  faith,  which  happened  within  the 
space  of  twenty  years,  Clovis,  the  king  of  France,  having 
been  converted  and  baptized  in  the  year  A.  D.  496.  By 
the  year  A.  D.  508,  the  remainder  of  the  kings  were 
brought  over  and  embraced  the  Christian  religion,  which 
closes  the  history  of  the  Pagan  beast,  whose  number 


96  LECTURE    VI. 

was  666;  which,  beginning  158  years  B.  C,  would  end 
the  beast's  reign  A.  D.  508,  having  reigned  but  a  short 
time,  (one  hour,  says  John,)  with  the  ten  kings.  We 
have  now  gone  through  with  the  angel  Gabriel's  second 
part  of  the  history,  as  we  promised. 

I  shall  now  go  on  with  the  illustration  of  the  third 
part  of  his  prophetic  history,  which  is  the  history  of  the 
image  beast,  the  deadly  wound  healed,  or  what  Daniel 
calls  "  the  abomination  that  maketh  desolate."  This 
beast  would  rule  over  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  tread 
the  church  of  God  under  foot  forty-two  months,  or  time, 
times,  and  a  half,  which  is  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
years,  in  common  time,  or,  as  the  angel  tells  us  in  Daniel 
xii.  11,  from  the  taking  away  the  daily  abomination  to 
set  up  the  abomination  that  maketh  desolate,  should  be 
a  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety  days,  showing  a 
difference  of  thirty  years  from  the  statement  of  the 
actual  reign  of  the  image  beast  and  the  other,  which  in- 
cludes all  the  time  from  taking  away  down  through  the 
setting  up  or  reign  of  the  image  beast.  Therefore,  to 
reconcile  these  two  statements,  we  must  conclude  there 
were  30  years  from  A.  D.  508,  when  Paganism  ceased, 
before  the  image  beast,  or  Papal  Rome,  would  begin  her 
reign.  If  this  is  correct,  then  the  1290  began  508,  and 
would  end  us  in  1798.  But  the  reign  of  Papacy  would 
not  be  set  up  until  A.  D.  538,  and  would  end  us  in  the 
same  year,  A.  D.  1798,  being  1260.  This,  then,  is  the 
history  the  angel  will  give  us  next.  32,  "  And  such  as 
do  wickedly  against  the  covenant  shall  be  corrupted  by 
flatterers  ;  but  the  people  that  do  know  their  God  shall 
be  strong,  and  do  exploits."  The  ecclesiastical  histori- 
ans tell  us  that  in  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century, 
about  A.  D.  538,  a  number  of  writers  in  that  day  under- 
took to  prove  that  the  Papal  chair,  together  with  coun- 
cils of  his  approval,  were  infallible,  and  their  laws  were 
binding  on  the  whole  church.  These  writers  were 
highly  honored  and  flattered  with  promotion  by  the  reign- 
ing powers  ;  while  on  the  other  hand  there  were  many 
who  opposed  this  power  of  the  Pope  and  clergy,  who 
were  denounced  as  schismatics  and  Arians,  and  driven 
out  of  the  kingdoms  under  the  control  of  the  Romish 


Christ's  second  coming,  97 

church.  33,  "And  they  that  understand  among  the 
people  shall  instruct  many ;  yet  they  shall  fall  by  the 
sword,  and  by  flame,  by  captivity,  and  by  spoil  many 
days."  Those  who  instructed  the  common  people,  and 
opposed  the  worshipping  of  images,  the  infallibility  of 
the  Pope  and  councils,  the  canonizing  of  departed  saints, 
were  persecuted  by  the  civil  power,  (the  sword,)  were 
burned  by  order  of  the  ecclesiastical  courts  established 
by  the  laws  of  Justinian,  emperor  of  Constantinople, 
whose  code  of  laws,  published  about  A.  D.  534,  gave 
unto  the  bishop  of  Rome  power  to  establish  courts  for  this 
purpose,  and  many  in  the  sixth  century  and  subsequent 
down  to  a  late  period,  " many  days"  suffered  death,  im- 
prisonment, and  confiscation  of  goods,  in  consequence 
of  a  difference  of  opinion  in  matters  of  religion,  by  the 
tyranny  of  this  abomination,  "  the  bloody  city  which  has 
reigned  over  the  kings  of  the  earth,"  34,  "Now,  when 
they  shall  fall,  they  shall  be  helped  with  a  little  help ; 
but  many  shall  cleave  to  them  with  flatteries."  This 
text  agrees  with  one  in  Revelation  xii.  16,  "  And  the 
earth  helped  the  woman."  "But  many  shall  cleave  to 
them ; "  that  is,  many  men  of  the  world  would  cleave  to 
them,  and  professedly  would  flatter  the  true  people  of 
God  that  they  were  friendly  at  least  to  them,  and  by 
these  means  Satan  carried  on  his  wars  against  the  chil- 
dren of  God.  35,  "  And  some  of  them  of  understanding 
shall  fall,  to  try  them,  and  to  purge  and  to  make  them 
white,  even  to  the  time  of  the  end,  because  it  is  yet  for 
a  time  appointed."  This  verse  shows  us  that  even  Chris- 
tians would  be  led  into  some  of  the  errors  of  Papacy, 
and  would  be  tried  and  purged,  even  to  the  end  of  this 
image  beast's  reign,  which  time  is  appointed,  as  I  have 
already  shown,  to  be  "  time,  times,  and  a  half,"  1260  years, 
ending  A.  D.  179&  36,  "  And  the  king  shall  do  accord- 
ing to  his  will ;  and  he  shall  exalt  himself  and  magnify 
himself  above  every  god,  and  shall  speak  marvellous 
things  against  the  God  of  gods,  and  shall  prosper  till  the 
indignation  be  accomplished,  for  that  that  is  determined 
shall  be  done."  The  king  here  spoken  of  is  the  same 
as  Daniel's  little  horn,  which  came  up  among  the  ten 
horns.     It  it  the  same   that  blasphemed  the   God  of 


98  LECTURE    VI. 

heaven.  It  is  mystical  Babylon.  Isa.  xiv.  12 — 15; 
Rev.  xiii.  5, 6.  The  same  Paul  has  described  in  his 
Epistle,  2  Thess.  ii.  1 — 9;  the  same  image  beast  which 
we  have  been  examining-  the  history  of;  and  one  thing 
is  evident,  that  this  beast  will  continue  until  the  day 
that  God  pours  out  his  indignation  upon  a  guilty  world 
in  some  form  or  other.  37,  "  Neither  shall  he  regard 
the  God  of  his  fathers,  nor  the  desire  of  women,  nor  re- 
gard any  god ;  for  he  shall  magnify  himself  above  all." 
In  this  passage  we  have  a  plain  description  of  Papacy ; 
they  do  not  worship  the  same  gods  the  Pagans  did  — 
"  their  fathers.''''  And  their  clergy  are  forbidden  to 
marry  ;  the  Pope  calls  himself  the  vicegerent  of  God,  or 
God  on  earth,  having  the  keys  of  heaven,  &.c.  38,  "  But 
in  his  estate  shall  he  honor  the  god  of  forces  ;  and  a  god 
whom  his  fathers  knew  not  shall  he  honor  with  gold, 
and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  pleasant  things." 
It  is  true  that  the  Pope,  for  ages  past,  has  had  large 
armies  at  his  command,  and  always  a  body-guard  to  at- 
tend him  in  his  capital ;  also,  that  they  adorn  their 
pictures  with  gold,  and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and 
pleasant  things,  and  that  the  gods  they  worship,  such  as 
the  images  of  Christ,  apostles,  and  Virgin  Mary,  and 
canonized  saints,  were  not  known  to  Pagan  worship- 
pers. 39,  "  Thus  shall  he  do  in  the  most  strong  holds 
with  a  strange  god  whom  he  shall  acknowledge  and  in- 
crease with  glory  ;  and  he  shall  cause  them  to  rule  over 
many,  and  shall  divide  the  land  for  gain." 

These  patron  saints,  which  the  Pope  divided  among 
the  several  nations  of  the  earth,  and  in  almost  every 
family,  each  one  having  their  patron  saint  to  rule  over 
them,  by  the  appointment  of  the  Pope,  were  strange  gods 
indeed ;  and  rational  beings  might  truly  wonder  when 
they  beheld  the  power  of  this  last  abomination  over  the 
minds  and  judgments  of  mankind.  And  then,  again,  to 
see  the  number  of  kingdoms,  provinces,  states,  and  ter- 
ritories, which  the  Pope  has  sold  to  enrich  his  coffers, 
without  any  more  right  or  title  to  them  than  we  have  to 
the  land  in  the  moon,  must  convince  every  one  that  the 
description  given  must  apply  to  the  church  of  Rome  or 


Christ's  second  coming.  99 

the  Pope,  who  claims  to  exercise  this  great  authority  by 
his  crazy  title  to  St.  Peter's  chair. 

We  have  now  arrived  to  the  end  of  the  third  division 
of  the  angel's  history ;  for  the  next  verse  tells  us,  "  and 
at  the  time  of  the  end"  meaning  the  end  of  his  power,  to 
tread  on  the  church  by  his  civil  authority,  or  reign  over 
the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  to  dispose  of  lands  for  gain 
I  have  brought  you  down,  my  kind  hearer,  through  a 
long  prophetic  history  of  more  than  2200  years,  and 
landed  you  to  the  year  A.  D.  1798,  when  the  Pope  of 
Rome  lost  his  civil  power.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1798,  on  the  15th  of  February,  a  French  general, 
Berthier,  entered  Rome  with  a  French  army  without 
resistance,  deposed  the  Pope,  abolished  the  Papal  gov- 
ernment, and  erected  the  republic  of  Italy.  The  Pope, 
being  taken  prisoner,  was  carried  a  prisoner  by  them 
first  to  Sienna  in  Tuscany,  from  thence  to  Florence, 
afterwards  to  Grenoble,  and  then  to  Valence,  in  France, 
where  he  died  on  the  19th  of  August,  1799,  since  which 
time  the  Pope  of  Rome  has  exercised  no  more  of  his 
former' power  over  any  of  the  kings  in  Europe,  or  the 
Protestant  church.  We  shall  now  close  our  lecture  on 
this  history  for  the  present,  reserving  the  remainder  of 
Gabriel's  interesting  history  for  another  lecture. 


LECTURE    VII. 


DANIEL  xii.  8. 


And  I  heard,  but  I  understood  not :  then  said  L  O  my  Lord, 
what  shall  be  the  end  of  these  things  ? 

Previous  to  Daniel's  asking  the  question  contained 
in  our  text,  he  had  been  taught,  as  we  have  seen  in  our 
former  lecture,  not  only  the  history  of  future  events  as 
they  would  succeed  each  other  down  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  but  he  had  the  regular  order  of  time  speci- 
fied in  the  duration  of  the  little  horn,  "  time,  times,  and  a 
half"  as  in  Daniel  vii.  25,  and  xii.  7.  But  he  had  been 
informed  of  many  events  which  should  transpire  after 
his  "time,  times,  and  a  half"  should  be  finished,  and  not 
having  the  length  of  the  Pagan  beast,  or  daily  abomina- 
tion, given  to  him  at  all,  he  could  not  tell  or  understand 
whereabouts  in  his  grand  number  of  2300  days,  the 
end  of  the  civil  power  of  the  little  horn,  or  Papal  Rome, 
carried  him:  there  was  no  rule  given  Daniel  yet  by 
which  he  could  tell  when  or  how  long  after  the  cruci- 
fixion of  the  Messiah  before  the  daily  sacrifice  abomi- 
nation would  be  taken  out  of  the  way,  and  the  power  of 
the  little  horn  be  established,  and  the  abomination  of 
desolation  set  up.  Be  sure,  Daniel  had  heard  the  whole 
history  down  to  the  resurrection,  and  had  the  whole  vision 
specified  in  his  2300  days.  But  as  he  saw  there  were 
evidently  three  divisions  of  the  time  after  the  crucifixion 
or  cutting  off  of  the  Messiah  at  the  fulfilment  of  his 
490  years,  or  70  weeks,  down  to  the  end  of  his  1810 
years,  which  would  be  the  remainder  of  his  total  number 
of  2300  years,  after  his  70  weeks  should  be  fulfilled : 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING.  101 

and  having  only  1260  of  those  years  accounted  for  by 
the  reign  of  his  little  horn,  leaving  five  hundred  and 
fifty  years  to  be  applied  on  the  Pagan  beast,  and  for  the 
events  which  we  are  to  attend  to  after  the  Papal  beast 
lost  his  civil  power,  —  therefore  the  propriety  of  DanieFs 
saying  in  our  text,  "  Then  I  heard,  but  I  understood  not." 
He  understood  not  how  this  time  was  divided,  and  espe- 
cially, how  much  time  would  be  taken  up  in  the  last 
division  of  the  angel's  history,  beginning  with  the  40th 
verse  of  the  11th  chapter,  where  our  last  lecture  ended, 
and  finishing  with  the  context  of  the  12th  chapter,  the 
verse  previous  to  our  text  That  this  is  the  plain  and 
significant  meaning,  is  evident  from  what  follows  our 
text,  viz.,  the  angel's  answer  to  Daniel's  question,  "  What 
shall  be  the  end  of  these  things?"  And  he  said,  Go 
thy  way,  Daniel ;  for  the  words  are  closed  up  and  sealed 
till  the  time  of  the  end ; "  that  is,  my  mission  is  closed, 
the  words  are  finished,  and  registered  in  the  roll  of  God's 
word,  they  are  sealed,  that  is,  made  sure,  unalterable, 
will  stand  until  every  word  has  its  fulfilment,  which  in 
the  end  shall  be  accomplished ;  not,  as  some  suppose, 
that  Daniel's  prophecy  is  sealed,  closed  up,  out  of  sight, 
and  cannot  be  understood.  This  is  not  the  way  of  God's 
dealings  with  us ;  for  if  this  had  been  the  angel's  mean- 
ing, he  would  have  said  to  Daniel  as  he  did  to  John  in 
similar  circumstances,  Rev.  x.  4,  "Seal  up  those  things, 
and  write  them  not"  But  it  is  the  reverse  ;  for  he  says 
in  the  next  verse,  10,  "  Many  shall  be  purified,  and  made 
white,  and  tried ;  but  the  wicked  shall  do  wickedly,  and 
none  of  the  wicked  shall  understand."  None  of  the 
wicked  shall  understand  what  ?  Why,  the  things  before 
spoken  of —  Daniel's  vision  and  instruction.  Very  well, 
then  the  wicked  do  right  for  once.  Certainly,  if  your 
exposition  of  the  former  text  is  correct,  that  it  is  hid,  and 
cannot  be  known,  they  are  obeying  the  command  of  the 
angel,  close  up  and  seal  the  words ;  and  surely  they  will 
not  be  condemned  for  obedience.  "  But  the  wise  shall 
understand,"  says  the  angel.  What  shall  the  wise 
understand  ?  They  shall  understand  the  vision ;  or  the 
words  before  spoken  by  the  angel  at  least  But  say  you, 
'•'  Daniel  was  commanded  to  seal  up  and  close  the  words, 
{)* 


102  LECTURE    VII. 

so  that  they  may  never  know  them  till  the  end,  and  the 
wise  understand  them.  How  can  these  things  be?"  I 
answer,  These  texts  explain  each  other.  There  is  a  close 
connection  in  the  word  of  God  which  must  always  be 
kept  in  view,  and  if  our  exposition  of  one  contradicts 
another  of  the  same  connection  or  of  like  import,  we  may 
know  there  is  a  wrong  in  us.  Now,  one  thing  is  certain, 
—  "  all  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is 
profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  in- 
struction in  righteousness,  that  the  man  of  God  may  be 
perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works." 
And  "secret  things  belong  to  God;  but  things  revealed, 
to  us  and  our  children."  And  when  I  see  pretended 
servants  of  God,  men  of  great  pretence  to  piety  and 
knowledge,  disputing  long  and  sharp  on  some  metaphys- 
ical point  in  theology  which  they  nor  their  hearers  can 
never  understand,  and  when  they  are  asked  to  explain  the 
plain  declarations  of  God,  pat  it  off,  by  saying,  it  is  sealed 
up,  and  we  ought  not  to  try  to  understand  it,  it  makes  me 
think  of  iEsop's  fable  of  the  dog  in  the  manger;  of 
Christ's  reproof  to  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  "  Woe  unto 
you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites !  for  ye  shut  up 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  against  men ;  for  ye  neither  go 
in  yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  entering  to 
go  in ; "  and  this  passage  in  Daniel,  "  The  wicked  shall 
do  wickedly ;  and  none  of  the  wicked  shall  understand ; 
but  the  wise  shall  understand."  You  may  depend  upon 
one  thing,  when  you  hear  such  declarations  as  the  above 
from  the  pulpit,  that  the  speaker  does  not  love  his  Bible 
as  well  as  he  loves  his  own  popularity,  and  studies  to 
support  his  faith,  the  popular  writers  and  standard  au- 
thors of  the  day,  more  than  the  divine  revelation  of  God. 
Bat  God  is  now  trying  his  people ;  he  is  now  giving  them 
a  great  rule  to  know  their  love  for  his  word.  If  the 
word  of  God  is  to  them  foolishness,  and  they  take  more 
delight  in  the  popular  writers  of  the  day,  they  may  de- 
pend upon  it  they  are  stumbling  at  that  stumbling-stone. 
But  the  angel  tells  us  that  many  shall  be  purified  and 
made  white.  This  was  good  news  to  Daniel,  and  ought 
to  be  so  to  us ;  for  it  is  the  declaration  of  God  through 
the  medium  of  Gabriel,  his  messenger.     u  And  from  the 


Christ's  second  coming.  103 

time  that  the  daily  sacrifice  shall  be  taken  away,  and  the 
abomination  that  maketh  desolate  set  up,  there  shall  be 
a  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety  days.  Blessed  is  he 
that  waiteth,  and  cometh  to  the  thousand  three  hundred 
and  five  and  thirty  days :  but  go  thou  thy  way  till  the 
end  be,  for  thou  shalt  rest,  and  stand  in  thy  lot  at  the 
end  of  the  days."  Now  Daniel  had  all  he  could  ask  for ; 
now  he  could  understand  the  time,  and  the  length,  and 
part  of  every  division  which  the  angel  had  given  him  in 
his  instruction,  so  far  as  to  fill  up  his  vision  of  2300 
years,  (as  we  shall  call  them,  having  proved  in  a  former 
lecture  that  they  ought  to  be  so  reckoned,  and  have  been 
so  fulfilled.)  He  has  now  learned  that,  to  begin  and 
reckon  back  from  the  resurrection,  which  he  well  knew 
would  be  1810  years  after  Christ's  crucifixion,  he  might 
find  out  when  the  daily  sacrifice  abomination  would  be 
taken  away.  Therefore  take  1335  years  from  1810 
years,  would  leave  475  years ;  and  he  could  reckon  from 
the  end  of  the  70  weeks,  or  490  years,  to  the  end  of  Pagan 
Rome,  would  be  475,  from  thence  to  the  time  he  should 
stand  in  his  lot,  would  be  1335  years.     Then  by  adding 

490 

475 

1335 

would  make  the  sum  total  of  his  whole  vision  2300  years. 
And  now,  let  us  suppose  he  wished  to  know  when  the 
abomination  of  desolation  would  end,  and  when  it  would 
begin.  He  has  only  to  take  his  number,  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  ninety,  as  given  him  by  his  angel,  from 
his  1335,  thus—  1335 

1290 

45 

and  he  finds  that  45  years  before  the  resurrection  the 
little  horn  would  lose  his  civil  power.  Now,  let  him 
take  his  time,  times,  and  a  half,  and  add,  say  1260  years 
to  45  years,  and  he  will  find  that  the  little  horn  began 
his  reign  1305  years  before  the  resurrection,  and  30 
years  after  the  daily  sacrifice  abomination  was  taken 
away.     And  now  he  is  prepared  to  give  his  vision  and 


104  LECTURE    VII. 

the  instruction  of  the  angel  all  their  proper  bearings, 
and  prove  it  thus  :  — 

1st.  The  seventy  weeks  or  490  years  to  the  cruci- 
fixion of  Christ, 490 

From  crucifixion  to  taking  away  daily  abomination,     475 

From  taking  away  Pagan  rites  to  the  setting  up 

abomination  of  desolation, 30 

From  setting  up  Papal  power  (time,  times,  and  a 

half )  to  the  end  of  his  civil  reign,       .     .     .  1260 

From  the  taking  away  the  Papal  civil  rule  to  the 

resurrection, 45 

Now  add  these  together,  and  you  will  have  the  whole  2300 
years  of  Daniel's  vision.  Do  you  not,  kind  hearer, 
see  by  this  mode,  and  by  these  last  numbers  given  him, 
Daniel  could  learn  every  part  and  division  of  the  whole 
history  down  to  the  time  when  he  should  stand  in  his 
lot  ?  But  now,  for  his  instruction,  we  will  suppose  Dan- 
iel understood  our  mode  of  reckoning  time  ;  he  might 
have  given  it  to  us  in  this  way :  —  "  The  70  weeks,  or 
490  years,  will  be  accomplished  A.  D.  33.  The  pagan 
abomination  will  be  taken  away  475  years  afterwards, 
which  will  be  A.  D.  508.  The  papal  abomination  will  be 
set  up  30  years  after,  A.  D.  538,  and  will  continue  1260 
years,  A.  D.  1798.  After  this  45  years,  I  shall  stand  in 
my  lot,  and  all  that  come  forth  to  this  resurrection  will 
be  blessed,  A.  D.  1843."  "  Blessed  is  he  that  waiteth 
and  cometh  to  the  thousand  three  hundred  and  five 
and  thirty  days."  Rev.  xx.  6.  "  Blessed  and  holy  is  he 
that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection." 

We  are  now  prepared  to  give  you  the  remainder  of 
the  angel's  instruction  to  Daniel,  beginning  where  we 
left  off  in  our  last  lecture ;  and  you  will  likewise  now 
take  notice  that  it  is  the  last  division,  and  what  we  now 
shall  read  to  you  must  all  take  place  in  45  years,  be- 
tween the  years  1798  and  1843.  So  that  you  may,  al- 
most all  of  you,  judge  for  yourselves,  upon  your  own 
observations,  whether  these  things  are  so  or  not. 

We  therefore  begin  at  the  40th  verse  of  the  11  th 
chapter  of  Daniel,  "  and  at  the  time  of  the  end  "  of  the 
papal  civil  power.     Now,  another  person  has  obtained 


Christ's  second  coming.  105 

this  civil  power :  this  was  Bonaparte,  the  ruler  of  the 
French  nation.  This  year  of  which  we  are  now  treat- 
ing was  the  very  year  that  the  French  destroyed  the 
power  of  the  pope,  and  Bonaparte  began  his  extraordina- 
ry career  in  conquest  and  authority ;  and  it  was  evident, 
by  his  success  and  fortune,  that  he  was  raised  up  by 
God  himself  for  some  great  and  special  purpose ;  and 
through  him,  as  an  instrument,  and  by  means  of  the 
French  revolution,  the  shackles  that  had  bound  more 
than  half  of  Europe  in  bigotry,  superstition,  and  tyranny, 
were  burst  asunder,  and  the  inquisition  and  Papacy  lost 
their  power  and  terror  over  the  bodies  and  minds  of 
men.  At  this  time,  then,  our  prophecy  begins,  and  Bo- 
naparte is  the  person  designated  by  the  pronouns  he  and 
Mm  in  the  prophecy :  "  And,  at  the  time  of  the  end,  shall 
the  king  of  the  south  push  at  him ;  and  the  king  of  the 
north  shall  come  against  him  like  a  whirlwind,  with 
chariots,  and  with  horsemen,  and  with  many  ships." 
This  is  a  description  of  an  alliance  entered  into  by  the 
king  of  Sardinia,  Italy,  and  Spain,  in  the  south,  and 
Great  Britain,  in  the  north,  for  six  years.  England  en- 
gaged, in  this  treaty,  to  pay  the  king  of  Sardinia  200,0Q0L 
per  annum  to  furnish  an  army  of  horse  and  a  large  fleet 
The  command  of  the  fleet  was  given  to  Lord  Nelson. 
Yarious  was  the  success  of  the  allies  in  the  south. 
Spain  had  to  recede,  and  finally  joined  the  French.  The 
king  of  Sardinia  had  to  leave  his  territories  on  the  con- 
tinent, and  shut  himself  up  in  the  island  of  Sardinia. 
The  king  of  Naples  fled  to  the  island  of  Sicily,  after 
making  a  vigorous  push  at  the  French,  in  November, 
1798,  and  getting  possession  of  Rome,  while  Lord  Nelson 
took  and  destroyed  the  French  fleet,  near  Lie  mouth  of 
the  Nile,  the  same  year.  But  the  French  soon  retook 
Italy;  and  this  broke  up  this  league,  and  the  French 
remained  masters  of  almost  all  that  belonged  to  the 
Western  Empire  of  Rome,  except  Great  Britain.  "  And 
he  shall  enter  into  the  countries,  and  shall  overflow,  and 
pass  over,"  was  literally  accomplished.  "  He  shall  enter 
also  into  the  glorious  land,"  (or  land  of  delight,  as  it 
might  have  been  translated.)  This,  I  have  no  doubt, 
means  Italy.     Bonaparte  fought  some  of  his  most  bril- 


106  LECTURE    VII. 

liant  battles  in  this  delightsome  country.  The  battle 
of  Marengo  was  fought,  if  I  mistake  not,  in  June,  1800, 
after  crossing  the  Alps,  an  impassable  barrier  between 
France  and  Italy,  as  it  was  supposed  by  his  enemies 
"  And  many  countries  shall  be  overthrown."  It  is  said 
that  Bonaparte  conquered  three  kingdoms  at  the  battle 
of  Marengo.  "But  these  shall  escape  out  of  his  hands, 
even  Edom  and  Moab,  and  the  chief  of  the  children  of 
Amnion."  Bonaparte,  when  he  went  into  Egypt,  calcu- 
lated to  march  into  the  East  Indies :  he  advanced  into 
Syria,  where,  after  gaining  some  advantages,  he  re- 
ceived a  decisive  check  before  St  John  d'Acre,  when 
he  was  obliged  to  raise  the  siege,  and  retreat  back  to 
Egypt  with  the  shattered  remains  of  his  army.  So  the 
country  once  inhabited  by  the  Edomites,  Moabites,  and 
Ammonites,  "  escaped  out  of  his  hands."  42 ,  "  He  shall 
stretch  forth  his  hands  also  upon  the  countries ;  and  the 
land  of  Egypt  shall  not  escape."  "  Hands "  signifies 
power;  and  what  country  on  the  globe  did  not  more  or 
less  feel  the  effects  of  Bonaparte's  power?  Egypt, 
surely,  did  not  escape ;  for  all  Lower  Egypt  was  con- 
quered by  his  arms.  43,  "  But  he  shall  have  power 
over  the  treasures  of  gold,  and  of  silver,  and  over  all  the 
precious  things  of  Egypt."  Bonaparte,  in  his  conquest 
of  Egypt,  levied  contributions  upon  the  inhabitants  of 
the  country  sufficient  to  support  and  pay  his  troops,  and 
brought  away  much  with  him.  "  And  the  Lybians  and 
Ethiopians  shall  be  at  his  steps."  When  he  first  went 
into  Egypt,  he  landed  his  army  on  the  coast  of  what  was 
anciently  called  Lybia,  and  his  last  battle  was  fought  in 
Upper  Egypt  —  what  the  ancients  called  Ethiopia.  So 
both  of  these  places  were  at  his  steps,  although  neither 
of  them  was  fairly  conquered,  as  was  Egypt.  44,  "  But 
tidings  out  of  the  east,  and  out  of  the  north,  shall  trouble 
him."  This  was  what  was  at  that  time  called  the  Holy 
Alliance.  This  was  composed  of  most  of  the  kings  on 
the  north  and  east  of  France,  which  finally  proved  the 
overthrow  of  the  power  of  Bonaparte,  and  the  restora 
tion  of  the  Bourbons  on  the  throne  of  France. 

The  news  of  this  alliance  caused  him  much  trouble, 
and  also  his  immediate  return  to  France.    "  Therefore 


Christ's  second  coming.  107 

ne  shall  go  forth  with  great  fury  to  destroy  and  utterly 
to  make  away  many."  This  is  a  plain  description  of 
Bonaparte's  campaign  into  Russia.  He  went  forth  with 
an  army  of  400,000  men,  with  fury,  in  order  to  break  up 
the  Holy  Alliance.  He  did  utterly  destroy  Moscow, 
and  laid  desolate  the  country  through  which  he  passed. 
He  made  away  with  more  than  200,000  of  his  own  army, 
besides  the  destruction  of  his  enemies,  say  many  thou- 
sands more.  Such  a  destruction  of  life  and  property  in 
one  campaign  was  never  known  since  the  days  of  the 
Persians  and  the  Greeks.  45,  "  And  he  shall  plant  the 
tabernacle  of  his  palace  between  the  seas  in  the  glorious 
holy  mountain,"  (or  mountain  of  delight.)  This  was  lit- 
erally fulfilled,  in  May  26,  1805,  when  Bonaparte  was 
crowned  king  of  Italy  at  Milan,  —  Italy  lying  between 
two  seas.  To  "  plant  the  tabernacle  of  his  palace " 
would  be  to  establish  him  as  king.  "  Yet  he  shall  come 
to  his  end,  and  none  shall  help  him."  This  closes  the 
history  of  one  of  the  most  powerful  monarchs  —  the  most 
ambitious  and  fortunate  of  warriors,  and  a  man  of  un- 
bounded sway  —  that  modern  times  had  ever  produced. 
He  had  destroyed,  perhaps,  more  than  3,000,000  lives ; 
he  had  dethroned  more  than  one  half  of  the  kings  of 
Europe  ;  he  had  disposed  of  kingdoms  at  his  wrill ;  all 
nations  had  been  under  the  control  of  his  decrees ;  he 
had  commanded  more  than  two  millions  of  veteran  sol- 
diers; the  treasures  of  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe  lay 
at  his  feet  "  Yet  he  shall  come  to  his  end,  and  none 
shall  help  him."  How  soon  the  tale  of  his  end  is  told ! 
A  breath,  and  his  end  is  come  ;  a  vapor,  and  he  is  gone. 
O  God !  the  breath  of  kings  is  in  thy  hand ;  thy  word 
goeth  forth,  and  it  is  done  ;  thy  decree  passeth,  and  it 
stands  fast  "  He  shall  come  to  his  end,  and  none  shall 
help  him."  Where  are  those  kings  that  courted  his  al- 
liance? Where  the  twenty  millions  of  French  who 
idolized  him  as  a  god  ?  Where  are  those  two  millions 
of  veteran  soldiers  whose  bodies  had  been  used  as  ram- 
parts to  mount  him  to  glory  ?  Where  are  his  five  breth- 
ren who  sat  in  the  seat  of  kings  by  his  power  ?  Where 
is  his  mother,  made  a  rich  dowager  by  his  munificence  ? 
Where,  O  where  is  the  empress  Maria  Louisa,  and  the 


108  LECTURE    VII. 

young  king  of  Italy  ?  "  And  none  shall  help  him." 
Yes,  Bonaparte  was  by  the  British,  after  he  had  resigned 
himself  into  their  hands,  earned  a  prisoner  to  the  island 
of  St.  Helena,  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  where  he  died 
in  exile.  "  He  shall  come  to  his  end,  and  none  shall 
help  him." 

By  this  history  the  kings  of  the  earth  may  learn,  that 
God  can,  with  perfect  ease,  when  the  set  time  shall  come, 
break  them  and  their  kingdoms  to  pieces,  so  that  the  wind 
may  carry  them  away  like  chaff,  that  no  place  shall  be 
found  for  them. 

I  shall  now  examine  the  remainder  of  Gabriel's  mes- 
sage, contained  in  Daniel  xii.  1,  "  And  at  that  time  shall 
Michael  stand  up,  the  great  Prince  which  standeth  for 
the  children  of  thy  people."  Michael,  in  this  passage, 
must  mean  Christ ;  he  is  the  great  Prince,  and  Prince 
of  princes. 

The  time  here  spoken  of  is  when  Bonaparte  shall 
come  to  his  end,  and  none  to  help  him.  This  was  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  year  A.  D.  1815.  There  are  two 
things  for  which  Christ  stands  up  for  his  people  to  ac- 
complish ;  one  is  their  faith,  and  the  other  their  judg- 
ment. Jer.  iii.  13.  Now,  it  is  evident  he  did  not  then 
stand  up  in  judgment ;  therefore  I  shall  choose  the 
former,  that  he  stood  up  to  plead  the  cause  of  his 
people,  to  restrain  backsliders,  and  to  add  to  the  church 
of  God  many  who  should  be  saved.  And  blessed  be 
his  holy  name,  he  accomplished  his  purpose ;  for  in  the 
years  1816,  17,  18,  more  people  were  converted  to  the 
faith  of  Jesus  than  had  been  for  thirty  years  before. 
Almost,  and  I  know  not  but  every  town  in  these  states 
was  visited  with  a  shower  of  mercy,  and  hundreds  and 
thousands,  yea,  tens  of  thousands,  were  born  into  the 
invisible  kingdom  of  the  dear  Redeemer,  and  their 
names  recorded  among  the  members  of  the  church  of 
the  first  born.  This  has  lasted  in  a  great  measure  for 
20  years,  and  has  spread  over  a  large  share  of  the 
Christian  world  ;  even  the  islands  of  the  sea  have  lifted 
up  their  voices  to  God,  and  the  wilderness  has  bloomed 
like  the  rose,  and  the  heathen  have  seen  of  his  salva- 
tion.   The  grace  of  God  has  distilled  upon  us  like  the 


Christ's  second  coming.  109 

morning  dew,  and  like  showers  upon  a  thirsty  soil. 
Surely  this  must  be  by  the  power  of  Michael,  the 
great  Prince  of  the  covenant.  "  And  there  shall  be  a 
time  of  trouble,  such  as  there  never  was  since  there 
was  a  nation,  even  to  that  same  time."  This  time  of 
trouble  is  yet  in  futurity ;  but  is  hanging,  as  it  were, 
over  our  heads,  ready  to  break  upon  us  in  tenfold 
vengeance,  when  the  angel  of  the  gospel,  who  is  now 
flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven,  shall  seal  the  last 
child  of  God  in  their  foreheads.  And  when  the  four 
angels,  who  are  now  holding  the  four  winds,  that  it 
blow  not  on  the  sea  nor  on  the  land,  shall  cease  their 
holding  ;  when  the  angel,  standing  on  the  sea  and  land, 
shall  lift  his  hand  to  heaven  and  swear  by  him  that 
liveth  forever  and  ever,  that  time  shall  be  no  longer,  or, 
as  it  might,  and,  perhaps,  ought  to  have  been  translated, 
"that  there  should  be  no  longer  delay  ;"  that  is,  God 
would  wait  no  longer  for  repentance,  no  longer  to  be 
gracious ;  but  his  spirit  would  take  its  flight  from  the 
world,  and  the  grace  of  God  would  cease  to  restrain 
men.  He  that  is  filthy  will  be  filthy  still.  Mankind 
will,  for  a  short  season,  give  loose  to  all  the  corrupt 
passions  of  the  human  heart.  No  laws,  human  or 
divine,  will  be  regarded  ;  all  authority  will  be  trampled 
under  foot ;  anarchy  will  be  the  order  of  governments, 
and  confusion  fill  the  world  with  horror  and  despair. 
Murder,  treason,  and  crime,  will  be  common  law,  and 
division  and  disunion  the  only  bond  of  fellowship. 
Christians  will  be  persecuted  unto  death,  and  dens  and 
caves  of  the  earth  will  be  their  retreat  All  things 
which  are  net  eternal  will  be  shaken  to  pieces,  that 
that  which  cannot  be  shaken  may  remain.  And  this,  if 
I  am  right  in  my  calculations,  will  begin  on  or  before 
A.  D.  1&39.  "  And  at  that  time  thy  people  shall  be 
delivered,  every  one  that  shall  be  found  written  in  the 
book."  Nov/  is  come  salvation  indeed.  The  people 
of  God  are  now  to  be  delivered  from  outward  foes  and 
inbred  lusts,  from  the  corruptions  of  the  grave  and  the 
vileness  of  the  flesh.  Every  one,  the  poor  and  despised 
child  of  God,  will  then  be  delivered  when  he  makes  up 
his  jewels.  "  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust 
JO 


110  LECTURE    VII. 

of  the  earth  shall  awake,  some  to  everlasting  life,  and 
some  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt."  This  verse 
brings  us  down  to  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  when 
the  dust  will  give  up  the  bodies  of  the  saints,  and  they 
shall  awake  to  everlasting  life,  when  death  shall  be 
finally  conquered,  and  the  grave  resign  up  her  captive 
saints  to  victory  and  glory.  The  angel  also  mentions 
the  resurrection  of  the  wicked,  and  speaks  of  their 
shame  and  everlasting  contempt  He  dwells  not  in 
detail  on  this  second  resurrection,  as  though  it  was  too 
painful  for  thought,  yet  tells  enough  to  let  the  wicked 
unbeliever  know  his  awful  doom,  and  is  silent.  "And 
they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the 
firmament;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness 
as  the  stars  forever  and  ever."  This  verse  needs  no 
comment;  it  is  a  beautiful  figure  of  the  righteous  in 
glory,  and  the  durability  of  that  happiness  in  the  in- 
visible and  immortal  kingdom  of  God.  "But  thou,  O 
Daniel,  shut  up  the  words,  and  seal  the  book,  even  to 
the  time  of  the  end."  Some  have  taken  occasion,  from 
these  words,  to  say,  that  this  prophecy  was  to  be  shut 
up  and  sealed,  that  none  might  understand  it  until  the 
end.  If  it  was  so,  why  give  it  to  Daniel  at  all  ?  Why 
note  it  in  the  Scripture  of  truth  ?  Why  give  to  us  the 
same  instruction  which  made  Daniel  understand  what 
should  befall  the  people  of  God  in  the  latter  day  ?  But 
the  plain  and  obvious  meaning  of  the  first  part  of  this 
verse  is,  But  thou,  O  Daniel,  close  up  your  prophecy, 
and  set  your  seal  to  the  truth  of  it,  for  at  "  the  time  of 
the  end  many  shall  run  to  and  fro ; "  that  is,  at  the  time 
of  the  end  the  means  of  travel  would  be  greatly  ex- 
tended, so  that  many  would  travel  into  all  parts  of  the 
earth,  and  would  increase  in  knowledge  of  places,  men, 
and  things.  "  And  knowledge  shall  be  increased."  Can 
any  prophecy  be  more  literally  fulfilled  than  this  ?  The 
increase  of  travel,  and  the  means  of  conveyance,  and  the 
improvement  in  the  arts  and  sciences  at  the  present  day, 
have  astonished  the  projectors  themselves.  But  if  it 
should  mean  holy  things,  then  look  at  the  great  number 
of  missionaries  sent  into  all  parts  of  our  world.  There 
?jxe  but  few  nations,  civilized  or  barbarous,  Christian  or 


Christ's  second  coming.  Ill 

hodthen,  but  what  are  visited  by  the  professed  ministers 
of  Christ,  and  knowledge  of  the  word  of  God  has  in- 
creased. And  within  thirty  years,  the  Bible  has  been 
translated  into  one  hundred  and  fifty  languages,  more 
than  three  times  the  number  of  all  languages  that  had 
received  a  translation  during  1800  years  before.  Mil- 
lions of  copies  of  the  Bible  have  been  circulated  within 
the  thirty  years  past,  where  thousands  only  had  been 
circulated  before.  "Then  I,  Daniel,  looked,  and  be- 
hold, there  stood  other  two,  the  one  on  this  side  of  the 
bank  of  the  river,  and  the  other  on  that  side  of  the  bank 
of  the  river,  and  said  to  the  man  clothed  in  linen,  which 
was  upon  the  waters  of  the  river,  How  long  shall  it  be 
to  the  end  of  these  wonders  ?  "  Here  Daniel  saw  the 
two  holy  ones  inquiring  of  the  man  clothed  in  linen, 
which  stood  upon  the  waters  of  the  river.  This  man  is 
the  same  as  Michael  standing  up  for  the  children  of  thy 
people.  The  reason  I  assign  is,  he  is  clothed  in  linen, 
which  shows  he  is  the  high  priest  for  the  people  of 
God.  It  is  the  same  angel  that  John  describes,  Rev. 
x.  1 — 6.  This  angel  is  represented  as  being  the  mes- 
senger of  the  covenant,  by  having  a  rainbow  on  his  head. 
He  was  clothed  with  a  cloud  pure  and  white  like  linen. 
He,  too,  had  a  little  book  open,  showing  what  he  should 
do,  agreeing  with  our  explanation,  spreading  the  gospel 
for  the  last  time  through  the  world,  standing  one 
foot  on  the  sea,  and  the  other  on  the  earth,  to  keep 
down  the  power  of  anti-Christ,  who  sits  on  many  waters 
Rev.  xvii.  1,  15,  and  the  power  of  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
until  the  whole  elect  should  be  sealed.  See  Rev.  vii. 
1 — 3.  And  that  this  Angel  is  the  Mediator  is  evident. 
And  now  he  closes  up  the  mediatorial  kingdom,  when 
he  says,  Rev.  x.  6,  "That  there  should  be  time  no 
longer,"  or,  as  some  translate  it,  tluti  there  should  be  no 
longer  delay,  which  must  of  course  have  one  of  two 
meanings  —  either  God  will  no  longer  delay  his  judg- 
ment, or  he  will  no  longer  wait  to  be  gracious.  See 
next  verse,  and  2  Peter  iii.  9.  Take  either  one  or  both 
positions,  and  it  proves  my  object,  that  a  part  of  the 
45  years,  the  history  of  which  we  are  now  considering, 
is  taken  up  in  spreading  the  gospel,  and  bringing  the 


112  LECTURE    VII. 

last  remnant  into  Christ's  fold.  "  For  this  gospel  of  the 
kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all  the  world  as  a  witness 
unto  all  nations ;  and  then  shall  the  end  come ; "  Matt. 
xxiv.  14.  But  the  question,  How  long  to  the  end  of 
these  wonders  ?  means  to  the  end  of  the  reign  of  the 
beast,  which  the  world  wondered  after.  Rev.  xiii.  3, 
7th  verse,  "And  I  heard  the  man  clothed  in  linen, 
which  was  upon  the  waters  of  the  river,  when  he  held 
up  his  right  hand  and  his  left  hand  unto  heaven."  This 
language  shows  us  plainly,  that  it  is  the  same  angel 
which  John  saw  in  Rev.  x.  i.  1 — 7.  And  the  same  time 
is  indicated  in  Revelation  as  in  Daniel.  Here  in 
Daniel  it  is  in  the  last  45  years,  and  in  Revelation 
immediately  preceding  the  time  when  the  mystery  of 
God  shall  be  finished,  all  that  had  been  declared  by  his 
servants,  the  prophets,  the  whole  prophecies  would  be 
accomplished.  "And  sware  by  him  that  liveth  forever, 
that  it  shall  be  for  a  time,  times,  and  a  half."  This  is 
the  same  length  of  time  given  in  Daniel  vii.  25,  which 
is  there  given  as  the  reign  of  the  little  horn.  It  is  also 
the  same  time  which  is  given  in  Rev.  xi.  2.  Forty-two 
months,  (three  years  and  a  half,)  to  give  the  holy  city  to 
be  trodden  under  foot.  Again,  the  same  time  is  given, 
Rev.  xi.  3,  for  the  two  witnesses  to  prophesy,  clothed  in 
sackcloth,  1260  days.  Also,  Rev.  xii.  6,  14,  for  the 
church  in  the  wilderness,  and,  again,  in  Rev.  xiii.  5, 
where  the  anti-Christian  beast  had  his  delegated  power 
to  continue  forty-two  months.  All  these  times  ended  in 
A.  D.  1798,  as  we  may  hereafter  show;  when  the  45 
years  began  to  accomplish  the  things  which  I  have  been 
attending  to  in  this  lecture.  "And  when  he  shall  have 
accomplished  to  scatter  the  power  of  the  holy  people, 
all  these  things  shall  be  finished." 

This  brings  us  down  to  our  text,  and  gives  us  another 
important  and  conclusive  sign  by  which  we  may  know 
we  live  on  the  eve  of  finishing  the  prophecies,  and  on 
the  threshold  of  the  immortal  and  eternal  state.  Let  us 
be  wise,  then,  and  secure  an  interest  in  the  inheritance 
among  the  just,  that  when  we  fail  on  earth,  we  may  be 
received  into  everlasting  habitations  prepared  for  those 
who  love  Christ 


Christ's  second  coming.  113 

But  the  last  sign, "  the  scattering  of  the  holy  people ; " 
a  part  of  the  perilous  times.  How  are  they  to  be  scat- 
ered?  I  answer,  By  the  errors  of  the  anti-Christian 
abomination,  and  the  lo  heres  and  lo  theres,  by  dividing 
the  people  of  God  into  parties,  divisions  and  subdivisions. 
And  methinks  I  hear  you  say,  "Surely  these  things 
are  already  accomplished."  Yes,  you  are  right,  in  part, 
but  not  to  its  extent ;  the  sects  are  all  divided  now,  but 
not  crumbled  to  pieces ;  some  are  subdivided,  but  not 
scattered.  The  time  is  soon  coming  when  father  will 
be  against  the  son,  and  son  against  the  father.  Yea,  the 
sects  are  all  divided  now.  Presbyterians  are  divided 
into  Old  and  New  School,  and  then  again  into  Perfec- 
tionists. Congregationalists  are  divided  between  Or- 
thodox and  Unitarian,  old  and  new  measures,  Union- 
ists, &c.  Methodists  are  divided  between  Episcopal 
and  Protestant.  Baptists  are  divided  between  old  and 
new  measures,  Antimasons,  Campbellites,  open  and 
close  communion,  &c.  &c.  Quakers  are  divided  be- 
tween Orthodox  and  Hicksites ;  and  thus  might  we  go 
on  and  name  the  divisions  and  subdivisions  of  all  sects 
who  have  taken  Christ  for  their  captain. 

And  now  let  me  sum  up  in  short  what  we  have  proved 
to  you  in  this  discourse.  And  first,  I  showed  the  length 
of  time  our  history  would  take  up,  viz.,  45  years.  By 
the  numbers  given  in  Daniel  xii.  11 — 13,  his  1290  days, 
beginning  when  the  ten  kings,  represented  by  the  ten 
toes  in  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream,  and  ten  horns  in  Dan- 
iel's vision,  should  be  converted  to  the  Christian  faith, 
and  the  daily  sacrifice  abomination  taken  out  of  the 
way,  viz.,  A.  D.  508,  which  would  end  us  in  1798,  when 
the  Pope  lost  his  power  to  reign  over  the  kings  and 
trample  on  the  holy  people,  and  the  abomination  of 
desolation  ceased  his  civil  reign,  by  being  deprived  of 
his  civil  power  by  Bonaparte.  I  then  showed  you  that 
the  number  1335  days,  beginning  at  the  same  time  as 
the  1290  days,  viz.  A.  D.  508,  would  end  in  1843,  at  the 
resurrection,  for  Daniel  would  stand  in  his  lot  at  the  end 
of  these  days.  And  you  have  undoubtedly  noticed  that 
this  brought  us  to  the  same  year  that  Daniel's  whole 
number,  2300,  brought  us,  which  is  forty-five  years,  the 
10* 


114  LECTURE     VII, 

difference  between  the  two  numbers,  1290  and  1335.  1 
then  began  at  Daniel  xi.  40,  and  gave  you  the  history  of 
Bonaparte,  his  wonderful  career  of  conquest  and  power, 
and  his  final  end.  I  then  gave  you  the  history  of  Michael 
standing  up,  and  the  reformation  that  followed  in  the 
years  1815,1(3,17,  even  down  to  the  present  time. 
Then  the  unfulfilled  prophecy  which  must  come  soon 
upon  us,  the  troublous  times.  Next  we  came  to  the 
time  of  the  deliverance  of  the  people  of  God,  every 
one  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  the  resurrec- 
tion. Then  the  angel  gave  us  a  few  signs  which  would 
happen  in  the  course  of  this  time,  such  as  the  running 
to  and  fro,  the  increase  of  knowledge,  the  nations  being 
restrained  from  preventing  the  gospel  being  preached, 
and  scattering  the  power  of  the  holy  people,  all  which 
you  have  many  of  you  witnessed,  and  can  judge  for 
yourselves  whether  these  .things  are  so. 

I  shall  now  leave  you  for  the  present ;  and  may  you 
reflect  candidly  and  seriously  on  the  subject ;  for  many 
of  you  who  are  now  on  the  earth  may  live  to  witness 
this  fulfilment ;  and  if  unprepared  then,  with  what  regret 
will  you  look  back  on  your  present  opportunity,  and 
wish  you  had  improved  these  precious  moments  for 
the  salvation  of  your  souls,  and  for  the  glory  of  God  ! 

Be  wise,  O  ye  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  for  the  Lord 
will  come  and  will  not  tarry,  and  the  day  of  vengeance 
will  overtake  you  as  a  thief  in  the  night  $  "  but  the  wise 
shall  understand*" 


LECTURE    VIII 


REV.    viii.  1C 


And  1  beheld  and  heard  an  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of 
heaven,  saying,  with  a  loud  voice,  Woe,  woe,  woe,  to  the  in« 
habitants  of  the  earth,  by  reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trum- 
pet of  the  three  angels  which  are  yet  to  sound. 

In  prophetical  scripture,  the  sounding  of  trumpets  is 
always  used  to  denote  the  downfall  of  some  empire,  na- 
tion, or  place,  or  some  dreadful  battle,  which  may  decide 
the  fate  of  empires,  nations,  or  places.  At  the  fall  of 
Jericho,  the  trumpet  was  the  instrument,  in  the  hands 
of  the  priest  of  the  mighty  God  of  Jacob,  which  cast 
down  her  walls,  destroyed  the  city,  and  a  curse  pro- 
nounced against  the  man  that  should  ever  build  up  her 
walls  again.  Again,  the  trumpet  was  the  instrument  by 
which  Gideon  put  to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens. 
And  the  prophet  Amos  says,  "  Shall  a  trumpet  be  blown 
in  the  city,  and  the  people  not  be  afraid?"  Therefore 
we  may  reasonably  conclude  that  a  trumpet  is  the 
harbinger  of  destructive  wars,  and  the  dissolution  of 
empires,  states,  or  the  earth,  as  the  case  may  be.  The 
seven  trumpets  mentioned  in  Revelation,  the  three 
last  of  which  are  mentioned  in  our  text,  indicate  the 
final  overthrow  of  the  powers  spoken  of  in  the  prophecy. 
The  four  first  had  their  accomplishment  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Jews  and  their  dispersion,  in  the  fall  of  im- 
perial Rome,  in  the  overthrow  of  the  Asiatic  kingdom, 
and  in  the  taking  away  of  Pagan  rites  and  cere- 
monies. 

The  last  three  trumpets  will  claim  our  attention  in 


116  LECTURE    VIII. 

this  discourse ;  the  first  four  having  their  accomplish- 
ment under  Rome  Pagan ;  to  the  last  three  under  Rome 
Papal.  These  three  trumpets  and  three  woes  are  a 
description  of  the  judgments  that  God  has  sent  and  will 
send  on  this  Papal  beast,  the  abomination  of  the  whole 
earth.  Therefore  we  see  the  propriety  of  the  language 
of  our  text,  "  Woe,  woe,  woe,  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth,"  meaning  the  worshippers  of  this  Papal  beast,  the 
followers  of  this  abomination.  The  fifth  trumpet  alludes 
to  the  rise  of  the  Turkish  empire  under  Ottoman,  at  the 
downfall  of  the  Saracens.  Ottoman  uniting  under  his 
government  the  four  contending  nations  of  Mahometans, 
which  had  long  contended  for  the  power  during  the 
reign  of  the  Saracen  empire,  viz.,  the  Saracens,  Tartars, 
Arabs,  and  Turks.  These,  all  being  by  profession  Ma- 
hometans, were  ready  to  follow  any  daring  leader  to 
conquer  and  drive  out  from  Asia  (and  even  make  excur- 
sion into  Europe)  all  avIio  professed  the  Christian  faith. 
They,  having  embraced  the  errors  of  that  fallen  star, 
Mahomet,  whose  principles  were  promulgated  by  con- 
quest and  the  sword,  became  one  and  perhaps  the  only 
barrier  to  the  spread  of  the  Papal  doctrine  and  power  in 
the  eastern  world.  Here  the  Roman  Church  had  long 
held  a  powerful  sway  over  the  minds  and  consciences  of 
the  Christian  or  Greek  church  in  the  east,  by  the  aid  of  the 
eastern  emperor  at  Constantinople.  But  the  Turks  or 
Ottomans,  whom  the  Lord  suffered  to  rise  up  in  Bithynia, 
on  or  near  the  head  waters  of  the  Euphrates,  as  a  scourge 
against  this  Papal  abomination,  now  became,  a  check  to 
the  Roman  power ;  and  from  this  time  we  may  reason- 
ably date  the  declension  of  Papal  authority.  Therefore 
on  the  sounding  of  the  fifth  trumpet,  Rome  Papal  began 
to  show  a  weakness  which  in  every  succeeding  age  has 
been  more  and  more  manifested,  until  her  civil  power 
has  crumbled  to  ruin,  and  her  ecclesiastical  assumptions 
must  sink,  at  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trump,  to  rise 
no  more  forever. 

In  the  description  of  these  trumpets  we  shall  be  able 
to  apply  the  prophecy,  as  the  writer  believes,  to  those 
events  designed  by  the  vision  which  John  saw. 

Rev.  ix.  1.    "And  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  and  I  saw 


Christ's  second  coming.  117 

a  star  fall  from  heaven  unto  the  earth ;  and  to  him  was 
given  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit."  After  the  down- 
fall of  Pagan  Rome,  and  the  rise  of  the  anti-Christian 
abomination,  Mahomet  promulgated  a  religion  which 
evidently  came  from  the  bottomless  pit ;  for  it  fostered 
all  the  wicked  passions  of  the  human  heart,  such  as  war, 
murder,  slavery,  and  lust. 

2d  verse,  "And  he  opened  the  bottomless  pit,  and 
there  arose  a  smoke  out  of  the  pit  as  the  smoke  of  a 
great  furnace ;  and  the  sun  and  the  air  was  darkened  by 
reason  of  the  smoke  of  the  pit"  The  figures  used  in 
this  text  are,  the  bottomless  pit,  which  denote  the  theo- 
ries of  men  or  devils,  that  have  no  foundation  in  the 
word  of  God.  Smoke  denotes  the  errors  from  such  doc- 
trine, which  serve  to  blind  the  eyes  of  men,  that  they 
cannot  see  the  truth.  As  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace 
shows  the  great  extent  or  effect  of  this  error  over  the 
world.  The  sun  denotes  the  gospel,  which  is  the  great 
luminary  of  the  moral  world,  The  air  denotes  the 
moral  influence  on  the  mind,  which  is  commonly  called 
piety.  As  air  supports  or  gives  to  the  lungs  animation 
in  the  physical  world,  so  does  the  piety  of  the  heart  to 
the  moral. 

This,  then,  is  the  true  sentiment  of  this  passage.  And 
by  reason  of  the  Mahometan  errors  which  would  be  be- 
lieved or  followed  by  a  great  multitude,  the  gospel  and 
the  pious  influence  of  the  same  would  be  in  a  great 
measure  hid  or  lost  to  the  world. 

3d  verse,  "  And  there  came  out  of  the  smoke  locusts 
upon  the  earth ;  and  unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the 
scorpions  of  the  earth  have  power."  By  these  locusts  I 
understand  armies.  See  Joel,  1st  and  2d  chapters. 
Therefore  I  should  read  this  text  thus  :  And  there  came 
out  from  these  Mahometan  followers  large  armies,  which 
should  have  great  power  to  execute  the  judgments  of 
God  on  this  anti-Christian  beast,  which  had  filled  the 
earth  with  her  abominations. 

4th  verse,  "  And  it  was  commanded  them  that  they 
should  not  hurt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green 
thing,  neither  any  tree,  but  only  those  men  which  have 
not  the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads."    By  grass,  green 


118  LECTURE    VIII. 

things,  and  trees,  Ps.  lxxii.  16,  Hosea  xiv.  8,  I  under- 
stand the  true  church,  or  people  of  God.  By  those  men 
having  not  the  seal  of  God,  &c,  I  understand  the  anti- 
Christian  church,  or  Papal  Rome.  Then  this  would  he 
the  sense :  And  it  was  commanded  them  that  they 
should  not  hurt  the  true  church,  or  people  of  God,  but 
only  the  anti-Christian  beast,  or  powers  subject  to  her. 

5th  verse,  "  And  to  them  it  was  given  that  they  should 
not  kill  them,  but  that  they  should  be  tormented  five 
months;  and  their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a 
scorpion,  when  he  striketh  a  man."  To  kill  is  to  de- 
stroy. Five  months  is  in  prophecy  150  years.  To  tor- 
ment as  a  scorpion,  &c,  is  to  make  sudden  incursions 
and  irruptions  into  the  country,  &c.  Then  this  is  the 
sentiment  to  me  conveyed  in  the  text :  And  the  Turkish 
armies  would  not  have  power  to  destroy  the  Papal  pow- 
ers for  150  years,  but  would  make  sudden  and  quick 
incursions  into  their  territories,  and  harass  and  perplex 
the  nations  under  the  Papal  control. 

6th  verse,  "  And  in  those  days  shall  men  seek  death, 
and  shall  not  find  it ;  and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death 
shall  flee  from  them."  About  this  time  the  Greek 
church,  in  Constantinople,  was  so  harassed  by  the  Pa- 
pal authority,  that  it  gave  rise  to  a  saying  among  them, 
that  they  "  had  rather  see  the  Turkish  turban  on  the 
throne  of  the  Eastern  Empire,  than  the  Pope's  tiara." 
And  any  one  who  has  read  the  history  of  the  14th  cen- 
tury, will  see  that  this  text  was  literally  accomplished. 

7th  verse,  "  And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like 
unto  horses  prepared  unto  battle  ;  and  on  their  heads 
were,  as  it  were,  crowns  like  gold,  and  their  faces  were 
as  the  faces  of  men."  In  this  verse  we  have  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  Turkish  armies.  In  the  first  place  they  are 
represented  as  being  all  horsemen.  This  was  true  with 
the  Turks,  and  no  other  kingdom  since  Christ's  time, 
that  we  have  any  knowledge  of,  whose  armies  were  all 
horsemen.  They  wore  on  their  heads  yellow  turbans, 
which  can  only  apply  to  the  Turks,  looking  like  crowns 
of  gold. 

8th  verse,  "  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women, 
and  their  teeth  were  as  the  teeth  of  lions."    They  wore 


Christ's  second  coming.  119 

long  hair  attached  to  their  turbans,  and  they  fought  with 
javelins  like  the  teeth  of  lions. 

9th  verse,  "And  they  had  breastplates,  as  it  were 
breastplates  of  iron ;  and  the  sound  of  their  wings  was 
as  the  sound  of  chariots  of  many  horses  running  to  bat- 
tle." By  their  breastplates  1  understand  shields,  which 
the  Turks  carried  in  their  battles ;  and  history  tells  us 
that  when  they  charged  an  enemy,  they  made  a  noise 
upon  them  like  the  noise  of  chariot  wheels. 

10th  verse,  "And  they  had  tails  like  unto  scorpions, 
and  there  were  stings  in  their  tails  ;  and  their  power  was- 
to  hurt  men  five  months."  The  Turkish  horsemen  had 
each  a  cimeter  which  hung  in  a  scabbard  at  their  waist, 
that  they  used  in  close  combat  after  they  had  discharged 
their  javelins,  with  which  they  were  very  expert,  sever- 
ing a  man's  or  even  a  horse's  head  at  a  blow.  And 
from  the  time  that  the  Ottoman  power  or  Turkish  em- 
pire was  first  established  in  Bithynia,  until  the  downfall 
of  the  Greek  or  Eastern  Empire,  when  the  Turks  took 
Constantinople,  was  five  prophetic  months,  or  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years. 

11th  verse,  "  And  they  had  a  king  over  them,  which  is 
the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the  He- 
brew tongue  is  Abaddon,  but  in  the  Greek  tongue  hath 
his  name  Apollyon."  The  Turkish  government  had  a 
king  when  they  began,  as  before  mentioned,  and  he  was 
a  follower  of  the  Mahometan  faith,  and  truly  a  servant 
or  messenger  of  this  doctrine  of  the  bottomless  pit.  The 
name  of  their  first  king,  who  is  styled  in  history  the  foun- 
der of  the  Turkish  empire,  was  Qthoman  or  Ottoman, 
from  whom  the  empire  took  its  name,  and  has  been  call- 
ed to  this  day  the  Ottoman  empire.  And  great  has  been 
the  destruction  which  this  government  has  executed  upon 
the  world;  and  well  may  this  empire  be  styled  Destroyer, 
in  prophecy  the  signification  of  Abaddon  or  Apollyon. 

12th  verse,  "  One  woe  is  past ;  and  behold,  there  come 
two  woes  more  hereafter."  This  closes  the  fifth  trumpet 
and  the  first  woe,  commencing  at  the  foundation  of  the 
Turkish  empire  in  Bithynia,  in  the  year  A.  D.  1298,  and 
lasting  five  prophetic  months,  or  150  years,  which  carries 
us  down  to  the  year  A.  D.  1448.     When  we  take  into 


120  LECTURE    VIII. 

view  the  object  and  design  of  God  in  sending  this  judg- 
ment or  scourge  upon  the  men  who  have  not  the  seal  of 
God  on  their  foreheads;  the  anti-Christian  beast,  who 
profess  to  be  Christians,  but  are  not ;  when  we  compare 
the  history  of  those  times  with  the  prophecy  —  we  have 
been  examining,  and  the  events  which  have  transpired 
concerning  the  Ottoman  empire,  with  the  descriptive 
character  given  of  them  in  this  prophecy,  —  we  cannot,  I 
think,  hesitate  for  a  moment  to  apply  the  fulfilment  of 
this  trumpet  and  woe,  to  these  events,  time,  and  place ;  and 
must  be  led  to  admire  the  agreement  between  the  proph- 
ecy and  fulfilment,  and  to  believe  this  book  of  Revela- 
tion to  be  indited  by  the  unerring  wisdom  of  the  Divine 
Spirit ;  for  no  human  forethought  could  have  so  exactly 
described  these  events,  dress,  manners,  customs,  and 
mode  of  warfare  1200  years  beforehand,  except  the  wis- 
dom of  God  had  assisted  him.  And  if  these  things  are 
revealed  by  God  himself  unto  us,  surely  no  one  will  dare 
to  say  that  it  is  non-essential  whether  we  believe  this 
part  of  the  revealed  will  of  God  or  not.  Shall  God 
speak  and  man  disregard  it?  Forbid  it,  O  Father;  and 
let  us  have  "  ears  to  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the 
churches." 

We  shall  now  follow  the  revelation  of  God  into  the 
sixth  trumpet  and  second  woe ;  and  may  we  have  the 
Spirit  of  God  to  assist  us  and  lead  our  minds  into  the 
truth  of  these  things. 

13th  verse,  "  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded,  and  I  heard 
a  voice  from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden  altar  which  is 
before  God,"  14th  verse,  "  Saying  to  the  sixth  angel 
which  had  the  trumpet,  Loose  the  four  angels  which  are 
bound  in  the  great  river  Euphrates."  By  the  sounding 
of  the  trumpet,  I  understand  the  commencing  of  those 
judgments  which  were  to  be  poured  out  upon  the  earth 
under  this  trumpet;  and  by  the  " voice  from  the  four 
horns  of  the  golden  altar,"  the  agreement  of  all  the  pow- 
ers of  heaven  and  earth  to  execute  the  design  of  God  in 
this  thing.  By  loosing  the  four  angels  which  are  bound 
in  the  great  river  Euphrates,  I  understand  that  God  was 
now  about  to  suffer  the  four  principal  nations  of  which 
the  Ottoman  empire  was  composed,  which  had  in  vain 


Christ's   second   coming.  121 

attempted  to  subdue  the  Eastern  Empire  at  Constantino- 
ple, and  made  but  little  progress  in  conquering  Europe, 
now  to  take  Constantinople,  and  to  overrun  and  subdue 
one  third  part  of  Europe,  which  was  the  fact  about  the 
middle  of  the  fifteenth  century. 

15th  verse,  "  And  the  four  angels  were  loosed,  Avhich 
were  prepared  for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and 
a  year,  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men."  The  four  angels, 
we  may  reasonably  conclude,  are  a  representation  of  the 
four  nations  that  had  embraced  the  Mahometan  religion, 
and  were  now  under  the  control  of  the  Ottoman,  viz., 
Turks,  Tartars,  Arabs,  and  Saracens.  The  time  ex- 
pressed in  the  last-mentioned  verse  is  391  years  and  15 
days.  u  To  slay  the  third  part  of  men,"  is  to  destroy  and 
conquer  one  third  part  of  the  governments  or  kingdoms 
of  which  the  Papal  beast  had  the  control,  which  was  true 
in  the  end. 

16th  verse,  "  And  the  number  of  the  army  of  the  horse- 
men was  two  hundred  thousand  thousand ;  and  I  heard 
the  number  of  them."  In  this  verse  the  precise  number 
of  the  army  of  horsemen  is  given,  for  John  tells  us  "  he 
heard  the  number  of  them."  And  if  we  should  under- 
stand the  prophet  to  mean,  as  some  suppose  he  does, 
200,000,  multiplied  by  a  1000,  then  the  sum  total  would 
be  200,000,000,  which  would  be  more  men  than  were 
ever  on  our  earth  at  one  time  capable  of  bearing  arms  ; 
therefore  I  believe  this  is  not  the  meaning  of  the  prophet, 
neither  do  I  think  that  it  was  a  succession  of  armies  dur- 
ing the  whole  period  of  391  years,  making  the  sum  total 
of  200,000,000,  for  this,  too,  would  be  incredible  ;  for  al- 
lowing a  standing  army  of  15,385,000  to  be  recruited 
every  30  years,  it  would  only  make  the  two  hundred 
millions  ;  and  this  sum  would  be  more  than  five  times  the 
number  of  all  the  standing  armies  in  the  known  world. 
And  from  these  considerations  I  have  for  myself  given 
this  construction,  that  the  prophet  John  heard  the  num- 
ber of  200,000  repeated,  or  twice  told,  which  would 
make  an  army  of  400,000  horsemen;  and  this  would  not 
be  incredible.  And  what  is  to  me  strong  proof  of  the 
fact  is,  that  the  history  informs  us  that  Mahomet  II.  came 
against  Constantinople  about  the  year  A.  D.  1450,  with 
11 


122  LECTURE    VliT. 

an  army  of  400,000  #  horsemen,  and  after  a  long  siege 
took  the  city  in  the  year  1453,  and  destroyed  the  East- 
ern Empire,  which  had  stood  more  than  ten  centuries 
from  its  foundation  by  Constantine. 

17th  verse  :  "  And  thus  T  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision, 
and  them  that  sat  on  them,  having  breastplates  of  fire, 
and  of  jacinth  and  brimstone ;  and  the  heads  of  the 
horses  were  as  the  heads  of  lions,  and  out  of  their 
mouths  issued  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone."  18th 
verse,  "  By  these  three  was  the  third  part  of  men  killed, 
by  the  fire,  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone, 
which  issued  out  of  their  mouths."  19th  verse,  "  For 
their  power  is  in  their  month,  and  in  their  tails  ;  for  their 
tails  were  like  unto  serpents,  and  had  heads,  and  with 
them  they  do  hurt."  In  these  verses  which  we  have 
now  read,  we  are  plainly  informed  that  it  was  an  army 
of  horses,  and  men  on  them,  which  John  saw  in  the  vis- 
ion. And  the  implements  and  manner  of  fighting,  such 
as  the  trapping  of  their  horses,  and  the  instruments  of- 
fensive and  defensive,  gunpowder  and  guns,  are  as  ex- 
actly described  as  any  person  could  describe  it  without 
knowing  the  name  by  which  we  describe  it  at  the  pres- 
ent day.  Fire,  smoke,  and  brimstone,  would  be  the 
most  visible  component  parts  of  gunpowder.  Fire  and 
smoke  we  should  see,  and  brimstone  we  should  smell. 
And  who  ever  saw  an  army  of  horsemen  engaged  in  an 
action  but  would  think  of  John's  description,  "  out  of 
their  mouths  issued  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone,"  and 
in  the  breech  of  the  guns  were  bullets,  "  like  heads, 
and  with  these  they  do  hurt"?  Every  part  of  this  de- 
scription is  exactly  applicable  to  an  army  of  horsemen 
with  fire-arms ;  and  what  is  equally  strong  in  the  evi- 
dence is,  that  guns  and  fire-arms  were  invented  but  a 
short  time  previous  to  this  trump-sounding,  and  the 
Turks  claimed  the  honor  (if  honor  it  can  be  called)  of 
inventing  gunpowder  and  guns  ;  and  it  is  equally  evi- 
dent by  the  history  that  guns  were -first  used  by  the 
Turks  at  the  taking  of  Constantinople,  they  having  one 
single  cannon  that  took  70  yoke  of  oxen  to  draw  it  at 
the  siege,  as  says  Dr.  Gill  on  this  passage. 

*  Soms  authors  say  300,000. 


123 

20th  verse,  "  And  the  rest  of  the  men  which  were 
not  killed  by  these  plagues  yet  repented  not  of  the 
works  of  their  hands,  that  they  should  not  worship  dev- 
ils, and  idols  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  brass,  and  stone, 
and  of  wood,  which  neither  can  see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk." 
21st  verse,  "Neither  repented  they  of  their  murders, 
nor  of  their  sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of 
their  thefts."  In  these  verses,  we  have  the  character 
of  the  persons  or  government  on  whose  account  these 
plagues  were  sent  In  the  first  place,  they  are  repre- 
sented as  idolaters,  as  worshipping  devils,  idols  of  gold, 
&c,  full  of  murder,  sorceries,  fornication,  and  theft. 
This  exactly  agrees  with  the  description  John  has  given 
of  the  "woman  sitting  on  the  scarlet-colored  beast,  full 
of  names  of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns.  And  the  woman  was  arrayed  in  purple  and  scar- 
let color,  and  decked  with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and 
pearls,  having  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand  full  of  abomina- 
tions and  filthiness  of  her  fornication.  And  upon  her 
forehead  was  a  name  written,  Mystery,  Babylon  the 
Great,  the  Mother  of  Harlots,  and  the  abominations  of  the 
earth."  So  we  see  that  the  fifth  and  sixth  trumpets,  and 
the  two  first  woes,  were  sent  as  the  judgments  of  God 
upon  this  anti-Christian  beast,  and  clearly  shows  the 
decline  of  the  power  which  she  had  exercised  over  the 
kings  of  the  earth  and  the  people  of  God  for  more  than 
eight  centuries,  to  the  commencing  of  the  sixth  trumpet, 
when  the  Turks  were  let  loose  upon  those  kingdoms  un- 
der the  control  of  Papacy,  conquered  all  Asia  and  about 
one  third  part  of  Europe,  and  were  in  the  end  the  means 
of  opening  the  eyes  of  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world  to  see  that  the  Pope's  pretension  of  being  the  vice- 
gerent of  God  was  not  well  founded;  for,  if  be  could 
not  foresee  and  resist  the  inroads  of  the  Turks,  —  that 
infidel  nation,  —  surely  he  could  not  perform  those  great 
miracles  which  he  pretended  to  perform  in  order  to  sup- 
port his  ecclesiastical  and  civil  power:  and  individuals, 
and  afterwards  nations,  began  to  disregard  his  authority, 
excommunications,  and  bulls,  until  his  power  is  now  but 
a  little  more  than  a  bishop  of  Rome. 

Here  we  see  the  wonder-working  ways  of  our  God, 


124  LECTURE    VIII. 

who,  in  wisdom  and  providence,  suffers  the  corrupt  and 
infidel  nations  of  the  earth  to  pull  down  each  other,  and 
to  bring  about  his  purposes  and  designs,  and  will  event- 
ually destroy  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth,  by  such 
means,  and  in  such  ways,  as  the  prophets  have  foretold ; 
and  whoever  lives  until  the  year  1839  will  see  the  final 
dissolution  of  the  Turkish  empire,  for  then  the  sixth 
.rumpet  will  have  finished  its  sounding,  which,  if  I  am 
correct,  will  be  the  final  overthrow  of  the  Ottoman 
power.  And  then  will  the  seventh  trump  and  last  woe 
begin,  under  which  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  and  the 
anti-Christian  beast  will  be  destroyed,  the  powers  of 
darkness  chained,  the  world  cleansed,  and  the  church 
purified. 

See  the  10th  chapter  of  Revelation,  5th,  6th,  and  7th 
verses,  "  And  the  angel  which  I  saw  stand  upon  the  sea 
and  upon  the  earth  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven."  This 
is  the  angel  of  the  covenant,  the  great  Mediator.  See 
the  first  verse,  "  And  I  saw  another  mighty  angel  come 
down  from  heaven,  clothed  with  a  cloud."  So  is  Christ 
to  come  in  the  clouds  with  power  and  great  glory. 
"And  a  rainbow  was  upon  his  head."  This  shows 
plainly  that  it  is  Christ ;  for  the  rainbow  is  a  token  of 
the  covenant.  "  And  his  face  was  as  it  were  the  sun." 
The  same  as  when  he  was  transfigured,  Matt.  xvii.  2, 
"And  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire."  See  Rev.  i.  15,  "His 
feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned  in  a  furnace." 
Surely  this  must  be  Christ  "  And  he  had  in  his  hand 
a  little  book  open."  None  could  open  the  book  but  the 
lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  —  another  strong  proof  that 
the  angel  in  Rev.  x.  5  is  Christ.  And  who  but  Christ 
could  stand  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth,  and  lift 
"  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  and  swear  by  Him  that  liveth 
forever  and  ever,  who  created  heaven  and  the  things 
that  therein  are,  and  the  sea  and  the  things  which  are 
therein,  that  there  should  be  time  no  longer"?  that  is, 
gospel  or  mediatorial  time  should  cease.  No  more  time 
for  mercy  ;  no  more  Spirit  to  strive  with  you,  sinner ;  no 
more  means  of  grace  ;  no  more  repentance  unto  life  ;  no 
more  hopes  of  heaven ;  for  Jesus  has  sworn  by  himself, 
because  he  could  swear  by  no  greater,  that  your  day  of 


Christ's  second  coming.  125 

probation  "  should  be  no  longer."  For  "  he  that  is  filthy 
shall  be  filthy  still."  The  Bridegroom  has  come,  and  shut 
to  the  door.  I  know,  sinner,  you  will  then  cry,  Lord,  Lord, 
open  unto  us ;  but  he  will  say  unto  you,  Depart  from 
me,  ye  workers  of  iniquity,  for  I  know  you  not :  when  I 
called  to  you  to  open  the  door  of  your  hearts,  that  I  might 
come  in  and  sup  with  you,  ye  refused ;  when  I  stretched 
out  my  arm  all  the  long  day  of  the  gospel,  ye  regarded 
it  not;  I  will  now  laugh  at  your  calamity,  and  mock 
when  your  fear  cometh.  Then  will  the  angel,  flying 
through  the  midst  of  heaven,  cry,  with  a  loud  voice. 
Woe,  woe,  woe  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth ;  for, 
when  the  last  woe  is  pronounced,  and  "  in  the  days  of 
the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  when  he  shall  begin  to 
sound,  the  mystery  of  God  should  be  finished,  as  he  hath 
declared  to  his  servants  the  prophets."  "  The  second  woe 
is  past,  and  behold  the  third  woe  cometh  quickly.  And 
the  seventh  angel  sounded  ;  and  there  were  great  voices 
in  heaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  be- 
come the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ,  and 
he  shall  reign  forever  and  ever,"  Rev.  xi.  14,  15.  By 
these  passages  we  learn  that,  when  the  sixth  trumpet 
has  done  sounding,  when  the  second  woe  is  past,  then 
the  third  woe  comes  quickly.  The  seventh  trump  be- 
gins to  sound  ;  the  mystery  of  God  is  finished  —  all  that 
has  been  spoken  by  the  prophets,  that  is,  all  that  con- 
cerns the  kingdom  of  Christ;  for  then  will  be  brought 
to  pass  the  saying,  Death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory  ; 
for,  when  the  last  trumpet  shall  sound,  the  dead  in 
Christ  shall  be  raised:  "For  as  in  Adam  all  died,  even 
so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive."  "  But  every  man 
in  his  own  order.  Christ  the  first  fruits,  afterwards  they 
that  are  Christ's  at  his  coming."  "  The  first  man  is  of 
the  earth,  earthy;  the  second  Man  is  the  Lord  from 
heaven."  "  As  is  the  earthy,  such  are  they  also  that  are 
earthy ;  and  as  is  the  heavenly,  such  are  they  also  that 
are  heavenly."  "  And  as  we  have  borne  the  image  of 
the  earthy,  we  shall  also  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly. 
Now,  this  1  say,  brethren,  that  fle=h  and  blood  cannot 
inherit  the  kingdom  of  God;  neither  doth  corruption  in- 
herit incorruption."  "  Behold,  I  show  you  a  mystery : 
li* 


126  LECTURE    VIII. 

we  shall  not  all  sleep,  but  we  shall  all  be  changed,  in  a 
moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the  last  trump  , 
for  the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and  the  dead  shall  be  raised 
incorruptible,  and  we  shall  be  changed ;  for  this  cor- 
ruptible must  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  must 
put  on  immortality."  "  Then  will  be  brought  to  pass  the 
saying  that  is  written,  Death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory ," 
1  Cor.  xv.  22—54. 


^  ■* 


LECTURE   IX. 


Rev.  i.  20. 


The  mystery  of  the  seven  stars  which  thou  sawest  in  my  right  hand, 
and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks.     The  seven  stars  are  the  an- 

§els  of  the  seven  churches ;    and  the  seven  candlesticks  which 
iou  sawest  are  the  seven  churches. 

It  has  generally  been  believed  that  the  seven  churches 
to  whom  the  angel  instructed  John  to  write,  were  seven 
different  and  distinct  churches  in  Asia,  and  by  almost 
all  of  our  commentators  at  the  present  day  are  under- 
stood to  mean  seven  literal  churches.  But  your  speaker 
is  forced,  from  the  reasons  which  will  hereafter  be  pro- 
duced, to  believe  that  these  seven  churches  of  Asia  are 
to  be  understood  in  a  figurative  sense,  alluding  to  seven 
periods  of  the  church  militant,  during  the  Christian  dis- 
pensation, down  to  the  first  resurrection,  and  the  com- 
mencing of  the  glorious  reign  of  Christ  on  the  earth,  com- 
monly called  The  Millennium.  If  this  view  of  the  subject 
should  prove  to  be  the  correct  exposition  of  the  text,  how 
important  and  interesting  is  the  subject  to  us  who  live  in 
the  last  stage  of  the  church !  Then  we  who  live  at  this 
day,  are  particularly,  and  solemnly  and  aivfnlty,  admon- 
ished in  what  is  said  by  Christ  to  the  church  of  the  Laod- 
iceans,  that  church  corresponding  with  our  stage  of 
the  church  immediately  previous  to  the  commencing  of 
the  millennial  glory ;  and  how  necessary  that  we  should 
know  that  these  admonitions  do  most  deeply  concern  us ! 

This  view  of  the  subject  will  then  claim  our  first  at- 
tention. Were  the  seven  churches  used  as  a  figure  of 
tho  whole  Christian  dispensation,  or  were  they  not  ?    I 


128  LECTURE    IX. 

answer,  In  my  humble  opinion,  they  were.  Because, 
first,  the  book  of  Revelation  does  evidently  contain  a 
prophecy  of  things  which  did  not  concern  those  seven 
literal  churches  in  Asia;  for  those  churches  have  long 
since  passed  away  and  become  extinct;  yet  the  book  of 
Revelation  contains  prophecies  which  are  daily  fulfil- 
ling, and  have  been  for  eighteen  centuries.  It  is  also 
said  to  be  a  revelation  of  things  which  must  shortly  come 
to  pass.  "The  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  which  God 
gave  unto  him,  to  show  unto  his  servants  things  which 
must  shortly  come  to  pass."  Not  things  that  have  been. 
Yet  if  Christ  is  only  giving  admonitory  advice  to  those 
seven  literal  churches,  then  he  is  only  relating  their  char- 
acters as  they  then  were,  and  so  far  as  these  churches 
Avere  concerned  it  would  cease  to  be  a  prophecy,  and  the 
very  first  verse  in  Revelation  would  be  violated.  Again, 
3d  verse,  "Blessed  is  he  that  readeth  and  they  that  hear 
the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which 
are  written  therein  ;  for  the  time  is  at  hand."  We  see 
that  it  is  called  a  prophecy  in  this  verse,  and  must  al- 
lude to  the  whole  book ;  but  who  will  pretend  that  the 
three  chapters  in  the  beginning  of  Revelation  are  a 
prophecy,  if  we  understand  them  as  relating  the  char- 
acter of  seven  literal  churches  in  Asia  only?  None, 
none. 

Again :  the  word  seven  is  often  used  in  the  word  of 
God  as  a  mystical  number,  meaning  the  whole,  as  seven 
spirits,  seven  stars,  seven  angels,  seven  candlesticks, 
seven  seals,  seven  trumpets,  seven  vials,  seven  thun- 
ders, seven  plagues,  seven  mountains,  seven  heads,  seven 
eyes,  seven  horns,  seven  crowns,  seven  kings,  and  seven 
churches.  All  these  are  used  in  Revelation  and  apply  to 
or  concerning  the  whole  Gospel  period.  If,  then,  the 
number  seven  is  used  so  often  in  this  book  in  a  figurative 
sense,  may  we  not  reasonably  suppose  that  it  is  so  used 
in  the  dedication  of  this  book  to  the  seven  churches  in 
Asia,  and  the  history  of  those  seven  churches  be  pro- 
phetic ?  for  no  scripture  is  given  for  any  private  inter- 
pretation, and  surely  the  instruction  in  the  introduction 
of  the  book  carries  us  down  to  the  coming  of  Christ  in 
the  clouds  —  «  Behold,  he  cometh  with  clouds  ;  and  every 


Christ's  second  coming.  129 

eye  shall  see  him,  and  they  also  which  pierced  him ;  and 
all  kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him ;  even 
so,  amen.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and 
the  ending,  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to 
come,  the  Almighty."  And  why  all  this  descriptive  gran- 
deur in  the  address  to  these  seven  churches,  if  they  only 
were  meant  ?  Surely  there  were  other  churches  of  equal 
importance  at  that  day.  Where  were  the  churches  at 
Corinth,  Cappadocia,  Galatia,  Thessalonica,  Philippi,  Col- 
losse,  Rome,  Jerusalem,  Bithynia,  &c.  ?  Our  text  shows 
that  the  seven  churches  were  to  be  understood  in  a  fig- 
urative or  mystical  sense.  "  The  mystery  of  the  seven 
stars  which  thou  sawest  in  my  right  hand,  and  the  seven 
golden  candlesticks.  The  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of 
the  seven  churches ;  and  the  seven  candlesticks  which 
thou  sawest  are  the  seven  churches."  These  seven 
churches  are  represented  by  "  seven  lamps."  See  Zach. 
iv.  2,  "  And  said  unto  me,  What  seest  thou  ?  And  I  said, 
I  have  looked,  and  behold  a  candlestick  all  of  gold,  with 
a  bowl  upon  the  top  of  it,  and  his  seven  lamps  thereon, 
and  seven  pipes  to  the  seven  lamps  which  were  upon  the 
top  thereof."  These  seven  lamps  are  called  "  the  eyes 
of  the  Lord  which  run  to  and  fro  through  the  whole 
earth."  See  Zach.  iv.  10.  If  this  is  true,  then  it  readily 
follows  that  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  are  only  used  as 
a  figure  representing  the  churcli  "through  the  whole 
earth."  Again :  the  seven  lamps,  which  are  the  seven 
churches,  are  called  the  seven  spirits  of  God.  Rev.  iv. 
5,  "And there  were  seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  before 
the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God."  I  have 
clearly  proved,  and  I  think  it  will  be  admitted  by  all,  that 
the  "  seven  eyes  of  the  Lord,"  and  "  the  seven  spirits  of 
God,"  are  the  seven  churches  to  whom  John  was  di- 
rected to  write  or  dedicate  his  book,  the  Revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ 

And  I  will  now  show  that  these  comprehended  the 
whole  church  through  the  whole  earth.  See  Rev.  v.  6, 
"  And  I  beheld,  and  lo!  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and 
of  the  four  beasts,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  elders,  stood  a 
lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,  having  seven  horns,  and  seven 
eyes,  which  are  the  "  seven  spirits  of  God  sent  forth  into 


130  LECTURE    IX. 

all  the  earth."  Again :  when  we  compare  the  severa., 
characteristic  marks  or  events,  upon  opening  the  seven 
seals,  with  those  marks  and  instructions  to  the  seven 
churches,  we  shall  be  led  to  admire  the  beauty,  harmony, 
and  consistency  of  the  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  to  his 
people.  And  I  think  the  mind  will  rest  satisfied  that  this 
view  of  the  subject  is  the  truth,  because  it  so  exactly 
agrees  with  Christ's  manner  of  teaching  by  parables 
when  he  was  with  us  in  the  flesh. 

Some  may  inquire,  "  Why  were  those  seven  churches 
in  Asia  used  as  figures  to  represent  the  church  militant 
in  her  several  conditions  to  the  end  of  her  militant  state  ?  " 
I  answer,  )  if  we  may  be  allowed  to  answer  the  whys  or 
wherefores,)  Because  the  signification  of  the  names  of 
those  seven  churches  describe  the  spirit  and  qualities  of 
the  several  periods  of  the  Christian  church,  which  they 
are  brought  forward  to  represent,  which  we  shall  attempt 
to  show  in  its  proper  place. 

I  shall  now  endeavor  to  take  up  the  churches  in  the 
order  in  which  they  are  laid  down  to  us  in  Revelation. 
(Read  Rev.  ii.  1 — 7,  inclusive.)  1st,  The  word  Efhesus, 
desirable  chief.  This  is  true  concerning  the  first  age  of 
the  church,  in  the  apostles'  days,  when  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  given  the  power  to  work  miracles,  and  the  power  to 
distinguish  between  good  and  evil  spirits,  and  when  all 
were  of  one  heart  and  one  mind,  and  the  canon  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures  were  filling  up,  and  the  inspired  apostles 
were  setting  things  in  order,  and  establishing  churches 
through  the  world.  Yes,  my  brethren,  these  were  desirable 
times  surely.  But  to  proceed  :  This  church  is  addressed 
by  the  character  "  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars,"  the 
ministers  and  servants  of  him  who  holdeth  them  "  in  his 
right  hand,"  under  his  immediate  care  and  control,  "  who 
walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks," 
and  has  said,  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together 
in  his  name,  there  will  he  be  in  the  midst  of  them,  and 
has  promised  that  whatsoever  they  should  ask  in  his  name 
it  should  be  granted  unto  them.  He  says,  "  I  know  thy 
works."  In  that  day  they  brought  forth  fruits  meet  for 
repentance,  and  they  went  every  where  preaching*  that 
men  should  repent ;  and  Paul  said,  when  preaching  at 


Christ's  second   coming.  131 

Athens,  "  But  now  comraandeth  all  men  every  where  to 
repent."  Yes,  all,  saint  or  sinner,  high  or  low,  rich  or 
poor ;  all,  all  must  repent.  And  O  !  my  brethren,  how 
much  we  need  these  works  at  the  present  day !  "  Re- 
member, therefore,  from  whence  thou  art  fallen,  and  re- 
pent and  do  thy  first  works."  Again  he  says,  "  I  know 
thy  labor."  Did  not  the  apostles  labor  night  and  day  ? 
2  Thess.  iii.  8,  "  Neither  did  we  eat  any  man's  bread  for 
nought,  but  wrought  with  labor  and  travail  night  and  day,, 
that  we  might  not  be  chargeable  to  any  of  you."  See  1 
Thess.  ii.  8,  9,  "  So  being  affectionately  desirous  of  you, 
we  were  willing  to  have  imparted  unto  you,  not  the  gos- 
pel of  God  only,  but  also  our  own  souls,  because  ye  were 
dear  unto  us.  For  ye  remember,  brethren,  our  labor  and 
travail ;  for  laboring  night  and  day,  because  we  would 
not  be  chargeable  to  any  of  you,  we  preached  unto  you 
the  gospel  of  God."  Again  he  says,  "  And  thy  patience." 
This,  too,  will  apply  to  the  apostles'  days.  For  Paul  says, 
2  Cor.  vi.  4,  "  But  in  all  things  approving  ourselves  as 
the  ministers  of  God,  in  much  patience,  in  afflictions,  in 
necessities,  in  distresses."  Also,  xii.  12,  "Truly  the 
signs  of  an  apostle  were  wrought  among  you  in  all  pa- 
tience, in  signs,  and  wonders,  and  mighty  deeds.  And 
again  the  apostle  says  to  Timothy,  "  But  thou  hast  fully 
known  my  doctrine,  manner  of  life,  purpose,  faith,  long- 
suffering,  charity,  'patience?  And  who  can  read  the  his- 
tory of  the  first  age  of  the  church,  but  will  admit  that 
works,  labor  and  patience,  were  prominent  features  of 
that  age,  and  virtues  which  adorned  the  Christian  church 
in  its  infancy,  more  than  any  age  since  ?  "  And  how 
thou  canst  not  bear  them  which  are  evil."  Who  can 
read  Paul's  instructions  to  his  Corinthian  brethren,  in  1 
Cor.  v.  11,  without  seeing  this  text  fulfilled  ?  "  But  now 
I  have  written  unto  you  not  to  keep  company,  if  any  man 
that  is  called  a  brother  [as  though  such  a  one  could  not 
be  a  real  brother,  but  only  called  so]  be  a  fornicator,  or 
covetous,  or  an  idolater,  or  a  railer,  or  a  drunkard,  or  an 
extortioner ;  with  such  a  one  no  not  to  eat."  And  had 
the  servants  of  Christ  at  the  present  day  the  power  of 
the  apostles  to  discern  the  spirits  by  which  we  are  gov- 
erned, how  many  in  this  congregation  would  blush  when 


132  LECTURE     IX. 

"fornicator"  is  mentioned!  How  many  "covetous" 
would  hide  their  faces !  How  many  "idolaters"  would 
bow  their  heads,  or  "railers"  would  begin  to  murmur  at 
the  plainness  of  the  speaker !  How  many  "  drunkards ' 
would  not  have  staggered  into  this  house!  And  how 
many  "  extortioners  "  would  have  staid  at  home !  O  God, 
thou  knowest.  Or  who  can  read  the  2d  chapter  of  the 
2d  epistle  of  Peter,  and  John's  first  epistle,  Jude,  and 
others,  and  not  be  convinced  that  the  apostles  could  not 
bear  with  them  that  were  evil  ?  Again  :  "  Thou  hast 
tried  them  which  say  they  are  apostles,  and  are  not,  and 
hast  found  them  liars."  This  sentence  was  fulfilled  in 
the  apostles'  days.  Simon  Magus,  after  he  was  profess- 
edly a  disciple  of  Christ,  was  found  out  by  Peter  to  be 
in  the  "  gall  of  bitterness  and  bonds  of  iniquity."  Hy- 
meneus  and  Alexander,  whom  Paul  delivered  to  Satan, 
that  they  may  learn  not  to  blaspheme.  1  Tim.  i.  20, 
Also  Philetus,  Demas,  and  Alexander  the  coppersmith, 
were  all  found  to  be  liars,  and  many  others  who  went  out 
from  them,  as  the  apostle  says,  because  they  were  not  of 
them.  And  how  many  are  there  now,  my  brethren,  among 
us,  who,  when  tribulation  cometh,  will  be  offended,  and 
go  out  from  us !  Lord,  is  it  I  ?  "  And  hast  borne,  and 
hast  patience,  and  for  my  name's  sake  hast  labored,  and 
hast  not  fainted."  Yes,  my  brethren,  it  was  for  the  name 
of  Jesus,  that  the  primitive  Christians  bore  the  persecu- 
tions of  their  day.  Acts  xv.  25,  26,  "  It  seemed  good 
unto  us  to  send  chosen  men  unto  you,  with  our  beloved 
Barnabas  and  Paul,  men  that  have  hazarded  their  lives 
for  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Acts  ix.  16, 
"  For  I  will  show  him  what  great  things  he  must  suffer 
for  my  name's  sake."  Verse  41,  "  And  they  departed  from 
the  presence  of  the  council,  rejoicing  that  they  were 
counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  his  name."  And, 
may  I  not  inquire,  how  many  of  us  are  willing  and  would 
rejoice  to  suffer  shame  for  the  name  of  Christ  ?  Perhaps 
none.  We  had  rather  be  called  Rabbi,  Rev.,  Dr.,  &c. 
We  are  contending  for  our  names  at  the  present  day  ;  for 
Baptists,  Congregational ists,  Presbyterians,  Methodists, 
Free- wills,  Campbellites,  &c.  If  we  do  not  contend  earn- 
estly for  our  sect,  they  will  decrease,  and  we  shall  come 


Christ's  second  coming.  133 

to  nought.  .  And  I  say,  May  God  speed  it ;  so  that  you 
all  may  fall  on  the  word  of  God,  and  rally  again  under 
the  name  of  Jesus.  But  we  will  proceed  with  our  sub- 
ject. 4th  verse,  "  Nevertheless  I  have  somewhat  against 
thee,  because  thou  hast  left  thy  first  love."  Can  this  be 
true  ?  Did  the  apostolic  church,  in  its  purity,  so  soon 
depart  from  the  first  principles  of  the  gospel  ?  Yes,  in 
Acts  xv.  24,  "  Forasmuch  as  we  have  heard  that  certain 
which  went  out  from  us  have  troubled  you  with  words, 
subverting  your  souls,  saying,  ye  must  be  circumcised, 
and  keep  the  whole  law,  to  whom  we  gave  no  such  com- 
mandment." Gal.  i.  6,  "  I  marvel  that  ye  are  so  soon 
removed  from  him  that  called  you  into  the  grace  of 
Christ  unto  another  gospel."  1  Timothy,  i.  19,  "  Hold- 
ing faith  and  a  good  conscience,  which  some  having  put 
away,  concerning  faith,  have  made  shipwreck."  2  Tim. 
i.  15,  "This  thou  knowest,  that  all  they  which  are  in 
Asia  are  turned  away  from  me."  And  Paul  further  says, 
iv.  16,  "At  my  first  answer  no  man  stood  with  me,  but 
all  men  forsook  me.  I  pray  God  lay  not  this  sin  to  their 
charge." 

Many  more  evidences  might  be  brought,  to  prove  that 
many,  in  that  early  state  of  the  church,  did  fall  away  from 
the  doctrine  of  grace,  which  Paul  and  the  apostles  taught. 
And  now,  my  brethren,  how  is  it  with  us?  Are  we 
built  on  the  truth  ?  Have  we  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord," 
for  all  we  believe  and  do  ?  Are  we  built  on  "  the  proph- 
ets and  apostles,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief 
corner-stone  "  ?  Look  well  to  your  foundation  —  the 
day  is  coming  that  will  try  every  man's  works. 

Verse  5,  "  Remember,  therefore,  from  whence  thou 
art  fallen,  and  repent  and  do  the  first  works,  or  else  1 
will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  remove  the  candle- 
stick out  of  his  place,  except  thou  repent"  In  this  verse 
the  great  Head  of  the  church  admonishes  the  Christians 
of  their  former  sins  in  neglecting  the  doctrine  of  grace, 
and  falling  into  the  popular  errors  of  the  day,  which  I 
have  before  noticed,  and  warns  them  of  their  duty  to 
repent,  which  is  the  first  and  great  command  under  the 
gospel.  He  also  gives  them  notice,  that,  except  they 
repent,  he  will  remove  the  "desirable"  state  of  the 
12 


134  LECTURE    IX. 

church  into  the  next,  which  would  be  a  state  of  trial, 
persecution,  and  poverty. 

6th  verse, 

deeds  of  the  Nicolaitans,  which  1  also  hate."     What  the 
deeds  of  the  Nicolaitans  were,  we  are  not  able,  from  the 
word  of  God,  to  determine  ;  but  from  some  things  hinted 
at  by  some  ancient  authors,  we  have  good  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  Nicolas,  one  of  the  seven  deacons,  departed 
from  the  doctrine  which  the  apostles  taught,  and  preached 
a  doctrine  which  was  repugnant  to  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
viz.,  a  community  or  plurality  of  wives,  which  led  Paul 
in  his  instructions  to  say,  "  Let  the  deacons  be  the  hus- 
band of  one  wife,"  1  Tim.  iii.  12.      "  He  that  hath  an 
ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the  churches." 
Here  we  have  another  evidence,  that  the  branch  of  the 
church  at  Ephesus  was  not  the  only  church  addressed 
in  this  epistle  and  prophecy ;  for,  if  so,  what  propriety 
in  using  the  word  churches,  in  the  plural,  when  only  one 
church  in  Asia  was  spoken  of?      No,  it  could  not  be 
proper,  neither  would  it  have  been,  as  it  is  so  used  in 
every  epistle  through  the  whole  seven,  had  not  Christ 
designed  it  for  all  the  churches  in  ar-certain  age.    There 
is  also  an  admonition  contained   in  these   last-quoted 
words,  to  read,  hear,  and  observe  the   prophecy   now 
given  by  the  Spirit  to  John,  the  inspired  servant  of  Christ ; 
and  for  all  the  churches  of  the  age  spoken  of,  to  be  care- 
ful to  apply  to  themselves  the  admonitions,  designed  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  for  their  immediate  benefit.     "  To  him 
that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life, 
which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God."     How 
precious  is  this  promise  to  the  faithful  and  tried  soul, 
who  places  all  his  hope,  and  strength,  and  dependence, 
on  one  who  is  mighty  to  save,  and  on  one  who  has  prom- 
ised to  bring  him  off  conqueror  over  all  the  enemies 
of  grace,  and  the  powers  of  hell !     Yes,  and,  more  than 
all,  he  has  overcome  and  entered  within  the  veil,  as  a 
forerunner  for  us  who  believe.     May  we  all,  by  faith, 
have  a  right  to  this  tree  of  life,  this  paradise  of  God. 

I  will  now  examine  the  prophecy  to  the  second  church, 
which  I  understand  to  commence  about  the  close  of  the 
first  century,  and  lasted  about  two  hundred  years,  until 
the  days  of  Constantine,  A.  D.  312. 


Christ's  second  coming.  135 

8th  verse,    "  And  unto  the  angel  of  the   church  in 
Smyrna,  write."     The  signification  of  the  word  Smyrna, 
is  myrrh ;  denoting  that  the  church  in  this  age  would  be 
a  sweet-smelling  savor  to  God,  while  she  was  passing 
through  the  fiery  ordeal  of  persecution   and  affliction, 
which  always  has  served  to  weed  out  those  obnoxious 
plants  of  pride,  popularity,  self-dependence  —  the  bane 
and  poison  of  true  faith,  piety,  and  devotion.     And  O, 
my  brethren,  could  we  learn  wisdom,  by  what  the  church 
has  already  suffered  in  the  days  of  our  forefathers,  we 
should  be  more  humble,  the  more  worldly  peace   and 
prosperity  we  enjoyed.     For  it  is  only  in  the  midst  of 
persecution  and  trial,  that  the  church  manifest  great  pu- 
rity of  doctrine  or  life.     How  well,  then,  might  this  age 
of  the  church  be  compared  to  myrrh,  when  she   must 
have  been  separated  from  worldly  honors,  avarice,  pride, 
popularity,  and  hypocrisy,  wh'en  the  hypocrite  and  world- 
ling had  no  motives  to  unite  with  and  destroy  the  union 
of  the  brotherhood,  and  when  the  hireling  shepherd  could 
expect  no  fleece,  that  would  suit  his  cupidity,  to  filch 
from  the  lambs  of  Christ !     "  These  things  saith  the  first 
and  the  last,  which  was  dead  and  is  alive."     In  these 
words  we  learn  the  character  speaking  to  the  church. 
It  is  no  less  than  the  mighty  God,  the  everlasting  Fa- 
ther, the  Prince  of  Peace.    "  I  know  thy  works,  and  trib- 
ulation, and  poverty."     Now,  their  works  were  about  to 
be  tried  ;  although  God  knew  them  that  were  his,  yet  he 
designed  to  manifest  to  a  world  who  would  be  faithful 
even  unto  death,  and  to  show  that  pure  and  undefiled  re- 
ligion would  burn  with  a  brighter  flame  in  tribulation 
and  poverty,  and  the  richness  of  that  faith,  which  would 
bring  off  the  true  Christian  conqueror  over  the  powers 
of  the  world,  the  temptations  of  Satan,  and  corruptions 
of  the  flesh.     "  But  thou  art  rich."     Yes,  brethren,  the 
true  and  genuine  Christian  is  rich.     For  charity  can  suf- 
fer long  in  tribulation,  and  the  spirit  of  Christ  will  make 
us  forsake  all  for  his  sake,  and  endure  poverty  for  the 
name  of  Jesus.     "  And  I  know,"  says  Christ,  "the  blas- 
phemy of  them  which  say  they  are  Jews,  (that  is,  people 
of  God,)  and  are  not,  but  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan." 
Although  Christ  knew  the  hypocrites  and  false  profea- 


136  LECTURE    IX. 

sors  that  had  rushed  into  his  visible  kingdom  during  a 
time  of  prosperity  that  the  church  had  experienced  in  its 
Ephesian  state,  or  apostolic  age,  yet  now  the  time  had 
come,  when  that  candlestick  must  be  removed,  and  the 
next  age  of  the  church  or  candlestick  be  set  up ;  and  the 
same  means  used  by  God  to  purify  the  silver  would 
purge  out  the  dross,  so  that  the  kingdom  would  again  be 
cleansed  of  its  worldly,  hypocritical,  and  false  professors. 
10,  "  Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt  suf- 
fer." The  true  child  of  God  need  not  fear  to  suffer  for 
Christ's  sake,  for  the  sufferings  of  this  present  evil  world 
will  work  out  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal 
weight  of  glory.  "  Behold,  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of 
you  into  prison,  that  ye  may  be  tried,  and  ye  shall  have 
tribulation  ten  days."  The  devil  in  this  verse  means  Pa- 
gan Rome.  See  Rev.  xii.  9,  17,  "  And  the  great  dragon 
was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent,  called  the  devil."  "  And 
the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went  to  make 
war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  which  keep  the  com- 
mandments of  God,  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
Christ."  How  exactly  was  this  prophecy  fulfilled  in  the 
days  of  Nero,  Domitian,  and  other  Roman  emperors,  and 
how  faithful  has  history  been  to  record  the  ten  persecu- 
tions between  the  days  of  John's  prophecy  and  the  em- 
peror Constantine !  In  these  ten  persecutions  of  the  Ro- 
man government,  in  the  text  called  ten  days,  we  learn  by 
the  history  of  those  days  the  church  suffered  a  great  di- 
minution in  numbers  by  apostasy  and  fear ;  yet  those 
that  remained  steadfast  made  up  in  graces  what  they  lost 
in  numbers ;  and  it  was  truly  a  time  of  trial,  for  many 
were  cast  into  prison,  and  many  suffered  torture  and 
death,  rather  than  to  offer  sacrifices  to  their  Pagan  gods. 
"  Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a 
crown  of  life."  Yes,  my  brethren,  if  we  can  believe  the 
history  of  those  days,  many  of  the  dear  disciples  of  Christ 
were  faithful  unto  death,  and  have  long  enjoyed  the 
crown  of  life  promised  in  this  prophecy. 

1 1,  "  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit 
saith  to  the  churches.  He  that  overcometh  shall  not  be 
hurt  of  the  second  death."  Here,  then,  we  find  some  of 
those  characters  who  will  have  part  in  the  first  resurrec- 


Christ's  second  coming.  137 

tion,  the  blessed  martyrs  who  were  slain  for  the  witness 
of  Jesus.  See  Rev.  xx.  4.  And  in  this  passage  we  are 
again  commanded  to  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the 
churches  —  all,  all  who  have  ears;  not  the  branch  in 
Smyrna  only,  but  all  who  have  ears.  We  have  long  been 
in  the  habit  of  giving  away  Scripture  to  others  when  it 
belongs  to  us  and  our  children ;  let  us  therefore  apply  it 
home. 

12,  «  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergamos 
write."  Very  earthy  elevated  is  the  signification  of  the 
word  Pergamos ;  and  this  church  represents  the  age  of 
Constantine,  Avhich  lasted  more  than  two  hundred  years, 
until  the  rise  of  anti-Christ,  from  A.  D.  312  until  A.  D. 
538.  During  this  age  the  church  became  very  earthy, 
having  her  worldly  policy,  and,  like  the  church  in  the 
present  day,  attending  more  to  the  outward  concerns, 
and  the  worldly  part  of  religion,  than  to  inward  piety 
and  graces  of  trie  spirit,  looking  more  for  forms  and  cere- 
monies, than  for  the  life,  power,  and  spirit  of  the  religion 
of  Jesus,  spending  much  of  their  time  in  building  elegant 
chapels,  gorgeous  temples,  high  places  to  educate  their 
ministry,  and  adorning  them  with  pictures  and  pleasant 
things,  and  filling  the  hearts  of  their  worshippers  with 
high,  popular,  and  haughty  notions.  Yes,  my  brethren, 
the  age  of  trial  was  gone  ;  the  holy  and  secret  aspirations 
of  piety  fled  away,  and,  now  she  had  obtained  an  earthly 
emperor,  her  divine  Master  was  forgotten.  And  here 
was  the  falling  away  mentioned  by  Paul,  2  Thess.  ii.  3, 
"  Let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any  means  ;  for  that  day 
shall  not  come  except  there  come  a  falling  away  first, 
and  that  man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition." 
This,  then,  was  the  age  that  prepared  the  church  to  re- 
ceive that  monster,  the  man  of  sin,  the  son  of  perdition, 
into  her  bosom,  which  stung  the  church  with  the  poison  of 
asps,  and  filled  the  temple  of  God  with  image  worship, 
and  the  church  with  idolatry,  selfishness,  avarice,  and 
nride. 

"  These  things  saith  he  which  hath  the  sharp  sword 

with  two  edges."     By  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges, 

we  must  understand  the  word  of  God,  which  denounces 

heavy  judgments  on  the  wicked,  and  cuts  off  the  corrup- 

12* 


138  LECTURE    IX. 

tions  and  errors  from  the  church.  The  Psalmist  says, 
cxlix.  5 — 7,  "Let  the  saints  be  joyful  in  glory;  let 
them  sing  aloud  upon  their  beds.  Let  the  high  praises 
of  God  be  in  their  mouth,  and  a  two-edged  sword  in 
their  hand,  to  execute  vengeance  upon  the  heathen,  and 
punishments  upon  the  people."  Paul  says,  Heb.  iv.  12, 
"  For  the  word  of  God  is  quick  and  powerful,  sharper 
than  any  two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing 
asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and  mar- 
row, and  is  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of 
the  heart  And  John  saw,  Rev.  i.  16,  "And  he  had  in 
his  right  hand  seven  stars ;  and  out  of  his  mouth  went 
a  sharp  two-edged  sword."  Then  this  is  the  meaning 
of  the  passage  under  consideration,  "  These  things  saith 
he,"  which  hath  the  word  of  God,  and  showing  us  the 
importance  of  attending  to  the  subject  following,  by  the 
importance  of  the  speaker,  "  He  that  is  Christ."  And 
now,  while  we  read  or  hear,  let  us  keep  in  memory  that 
it  is  no  less  a  personage  speaking,  than  Him  of  whom 
the  prophets  did  write ;  who  holdeth  the  stars  in  his 
right  hand,  and  created  and  preserves  all  things  by  the 
word  of  his  power.     Hear  him. 

"  I  know  thy  works,  and  where  thou  dwellest,  even 
where  Satan's  seat  is.  Here,  again,  we  have  an  evidence 
that  this  church  is  mystical,  "  dwelling  in  Satan's  seat," 
the  fourth  kingdom,  the  great  red  dragon,  imperial 
Rome,  whereon  the  great  mystical  whore  of  Babylon 
sitteth.  The  church,  in  this  age,  became  immediately 
connected  with  this  power  called  Satan,  which  is  the 
devil,  Pagan  Rome.  "And  thou  holdest  fast  my  name, 
and  hast  not  denied  my  faith."  In  this  time  of  popular 
religion,  and  when  many,  from  political  and  worldly 
motives,  united  their  names  to  the  people  of  God,  still 
there  were  some  who  held  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and 
did  not  deny  the  faith. 

"  Even  in  those  days,  wherein  Antipas  was  my  faithful 
martyr,  who  was  slain  among  you  where  Satan  dwell- 
eth."  It  is  supposed  that  Antipas  was  not  an  individ- 
ual, but  a  class  of  men  who  opposed  the  power  of  the 
bishops  or  Popes  in  that  day,  being  a  combination  of 
two  words,  Anti,  opposed,  and  Papas,  father  or  Pope. 


Christ's  second  coming.  139 

and  many  of  them  suffered  martyrdom,  at  that  time,  in 
Constantinople  and  Rome,  where  the  bishops  and  Popes 
began  to  exercise  the  power  which  soon  after  brought 
into  subjection  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  trampled  on 
the  rights  of  the  church  of  Christ.  And,  for  myself,  I 
see  no  reason  to  reject  this  explanation  of  the  word 
Antipas  in  this  text,  as  the  history  of  those  times  are 
perfectly  silent  respecting  such  an  individual  as  is 
here  named.  Yet  many,  who  opposed  the  worship  of 
saints  and  pictures,  and  the  infallibility  of  the  bishop  of 
Rome,  were  excommunicated,  persecuted,  and  finally 
driven  out  from  among  men,  and  in  the  next  age  of  the 
church  had  to  flee  into  the  wilderness.  All  this  hap- 
pened in  the  kingdom  of  Rome,  "where  Satan  dwell- 
eth." 

"  But  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  because  thou 
hast  there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam, 
who  taught  Balak  to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the 
children  of  Israel,  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols, 
and  to  commit  fornication."  The  world  have  always 
been  endeavoring  to  draw  the  church  of  Christ  into 
fellowship  with  them,  and  to  a  mixed  communion  of 
idolatry,  as  Balaam  taught  Balak  to  draw  the  children 
of  Israel  from  their  God  and  his  commands,  by  mixing 
with  the  Jews  in  their  worship,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
by  degrees,  introduce  their  priests,  their  altars  and 
idol  worship  into  their  camp.  In  Constantine's  day  this 
mode  of  warfare  was  introduced  with  great  success  by 
Pagan  worshippers,  so  that  in  little  more  than  two  cen- 
turies the  greater  part  of  the  professed  Christian  church 
became  the  image  of  the  beast  of  which  we  are  now 
speaking,  viz.,  Pagan  Rome.  Here,  then,  we  see  the 
rise  of  Papacy  on  the  downfall  of  Pagan  Rome.  Who- 
soever will  take  the  pains  of  comparing  the  Pagan 
manner  of  worship,  forms,  and  ceremonies  with  Papacy, 
cannot  help  being  forcibly  struck  with  the  similarity  of 
the  two.  One  deified  their  departed  heroes  and  poets, 
the  other  her  departed  saints  and  votaries.  The  one 
consulted  her  oracles  and  priests  for  laws  and  instruc- 
tions, the  other  her  Popes  and  cardinals.  The  one 
had  her  altars,  images,  and  statues,  the  other  her  chap- 


140  LECTURE     IX. 

els,  pictures,  and  crosses.  Both  had  them  erected  in 
every  public  place,  for  the  multitude  to  fall  before  and 
worship.  Both  had  their  holy  fire,  holy  water,  and  both 
claimed  to  perform  miracles ;  the  one  by  the  response  of 
her  wooden  oracles,  and  the  other  by  her  carnal  priest- 
hood. Here,  then,  we  see  how  the  church,  in  the  fourth 
and  fifth  century,  was  led  over  the  stumbling-block  of 
Paganism,  to  eat  things  sacrificed  to  idols,  and  to  com- 
mit fornication. 

"  So,  also,  hast  thou  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the 
Nicolaitans,  which  thing  I  hate."  This  doctrine  was 
promulgated  in  the  fourth  century.  See  the  church  his- 
tory,  and  our  former  observations. 

"  Repent,  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and 
will  fight  against  them  with  the  sword  of  my  mouth P 
Again  the  Lord  calls  for  repentance,  and  threatens  the 
judgments  of  his  word  upon  them  that  obey  not.  O  ! 
may  we  take  warning,  my  brethren,  and  tempt  not  the 
heavy  judgments  of  God  upon  us,  for  our  idolatry  and 
fellowship  of  that  which  is  not  the  religion  of  Jesus. 

"  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit 
saith  unto  the  churches.  To  him  that  overcometh  will 
I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a 
white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which 
no  man  knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it."  Again, 
all  that  have  ears  are  commanded  to  hear,  and  those 
who  remain  faithful,  that  do  not  fall  away,  receive  a 
promise  of  spiritual  food,  and  a  name  and  righteousness 
which  none  can  know  but  they  who  receive  it 

18,  "And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Thyatira 
write."  The  signification  of  Thyatira  is,  a  "sweet 
savor  of  labor  or  sacrifice  and  contrition,"  and  is  a  de- 
scription of  the  church,  after  she  is  driven  into  the  wil- 
derness by  the  anti-Christian  beast.  This  church  lasted 
until  about  the  tenth  century;  and  little  of  her  history 
is  known  to  the  world ;  but  some  authors  have  pretended 
to  trace  her  into  the  north-west  part  of  Asia,  and  in  the 
north-east  part  of  Europe,  where  they  lived  until  about 
the  tenth  century,  unknown  unto  the  rest  of  the  world,, 
or  taking  but  little  concern  with  the  nations  aroun<J 
them*    Yet  it  is  said  they  retained  religion  in  its  puri 


Christ's  second  coMim?.  14! 

ty,  and  held  to  the  doctrines  of  the  word  of  God.  At 
any  rate  this  church  is  represented  as  being  in  a  state 
of  heavy  trial,  and  subject  to  seduction  by  some  power 
represented  by  that  woman  Jezebel,  of  which  I  shall 
speak  in  its  place.  "These  things  saith  the  Son  of 
God,  who  hath  his  eyes  like  unto  a  flame  of  fire,  and 
his  feet  are  like  fine  brass ; "  representing",  as  in  all 
the  other  declarations  to  the  churches,  that  the  character 
addressing  them  is  no  less  than  the  mighty  God,  the 
omniscient,  omnipotent,  and  omnipresent  Jehovah,  who 
says,  "  I  know  thy  works,  and  charity,  and  service,  and 
faith,  and  patience,  and  thy  works ;  and  the  last  to  be 
more  than  the  first."  When  this  church  existed,  which 
was  when  anti-Christ  began  her  reign,  there  was  great 
need  of  the  exercise  of  those  graces  of  the  spirit  which 
in  this  passage  are  enumerated.  1st  In  works  they  had 
to,  and  without  doubt  did,  combat  the  anti-Christian 
doctrines  which  began  in  the  sixth  century  to  over- 
whelm the  Christian  world,  such  as  worshipping  angels, 
departed  saints,  subjection  to  councils  and  bishops, 
infallibility  of  the  Pope,  &c.  They,  in  charity,  too, 
had  many  of  their  brethren  to  sustain  while  combatting 
these  errors  against  the  power  of  this  beast  They  did 
much  service  in  holding  up  the  hands  of  their  pious 
teachers  and  pastors  who  were  not  led  away  by  this 
wicked  one.  How  much  faith,  too,  must  they  have 
been  in  possession  of  to  have  withstood  the  power 
of  their  councils,  the  excommunications  of  the  Pope, 
and  a  majority  of  their  brethren  who  had  fell  into 
Papal  errors !  how  much  "patience "  to  have  re- 
mained unwavering  amidst  persecution  when  driven 
from  their  homes,  their  eountry  and  friends,  into  the 
wilderness,  where  God  prepared  a  place  for  her !  and 
how  much  more  necessary  were  their  last  works  to  sup- 
port each  other  in  exile,  poverty,  and  distress,  the  natural 
consequence  of  being  driven  from  among  men !  But 
these  things  were  so,  according  to  the  best  account  we 
can  obtain  of  those  times. 

20, "  Notwithstanding,  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee, 
because  thou  sufferest  that  woman  Jezebel,  which  call- 
eth  herself  a  prophetess,  to  teach  and  to  seduce  my 


142  LECTURE    IX. 

servants  to  commit  fornication,  and  to  eat  things 
sacrificed  to  idols."  In  this  verse  we  have  strong 
testimony  that  the  exposition  we  have  given  of  the 
seven  churches  is  correct;  for  no  character  given  the 
woman  Jezebel  will  apply  so  exactly,  as  the  woman 
sitting  on  the  scarlet-colored  beast,  full  of  names  of 
blasphemy,  "having  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand  full  of 
abominations  and  filthiness  of  her  fornication." 

Jezebel  is  a  figurative  name,  alluding  to  Ahab's  wife, 
who  slew  the  prophets  of  the  Lord,  led  her  husband  into 
idolatry,  and  fed  the  prophets  of  Baal  at  her  own  table. 
A  more  striking  figure  could  not  have  been  used  to  de- 
scribe the  Papal  abomination.  See  1  Kings  xviii.  xix. 
xxi.  chapters.  It  is  very  evident  from  history,  as  well  as 
from  this  verse  in  Revelation,  that  the  church  of  Christ 
did  suffer  some  of  the  Papal  monks  to  preach  and  teach 
among  them.     See  the  history  of  the  Waldenses. 

21,  "And  I  gave  her  space  to  repent  of  her  fornica- 
tion, and  she  repented  not."  22,  "  Behold  I  will  cast  her 
into  a  bed,  and  them  that  commit  adultery  with  her  into 
great  tribulation,  except  they  repent  of  their  deeds."  23, 
"And  I  will  kill  her  children  with  death;  and  all  the 
churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he  which  searcheth  the 
reins  and  hearts,  and  I  will  give  unto  every  one  of  you 
according  to  your  works."  We  cannot  be  mistaken  in 
the  character  given  to  this  mystical  Jezebel,  when  we 
compare  the  descriptions  here  used,  and  the  judgments 
threatened,  with  other  passages  of  like  import  in  Revela- 
tion, where  mystical  Babylon  is  described  and  threat- 
ened. See  Rev.  ix.  20,  21,  "And  the  rest  of  the  men 
which  were  not  killed  by  these  plagues,  yet  repented  not 
of  the  works  of  their  hands,  that  they  should  not  worship 
devils  and  idols  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  brass,  and  stone, 
and  of  wood,  which  neither  can  see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk : 
neither  repented  they  of  their  murders,  nor  of  their  sor- 
ceries, nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts." 

If  these  last  texts  mean  anti-Christ,  of  which  I  believe 
none  have  any  doubt,  that  is,  no  commentator  that  I  have 
been  able  to  consult,  then  it  is  equally  evident  that  this 
woman,  called  Jezebel,  in  this  prophecy  of  the  church  in 
Thyatira,  means  the  same  ;  and  the  conclusion  is  strong 


chp-ist's  second  coming.  143 

that  the  Thyatira  church  represents  the  churches  in 
some  age  of  anti-Christ,  and  the  prophecy  contained  in 
the  verses  we  have  already  quoted  are  the  judgments  God 
has  and  will  pour  out  on  that  great  city  that  rules  over 
the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  has  for  ages  past  trodden  the 
church  under  foot,  and  contaminated  the  people  of  God 
by  her  seductions,  sorceries,  and  fornications. 

24,  "  But  unto  you  I  say,  and  unto  the  rest  in  Thya- 
tira, As  many  as  have  not  this  doctrine,  and  which  have 
not  known  the  depths  of  Satan  as  they  speak,  I  will  put 
upon  you  none  other  burden."  25,  "  But  that  which  ye 
have  already,  hold  fast  till  I  come."  In  these  verses  the 
church  which  have  not  fellowshipped  the  anti- Christian 
doctrine,  and  have  not  followed  the  practices  of  the  Sa- 
tanic blasphemies  of  their  abominations,  are  here  prom- 
ised to  experience  no  other  persecution  except  what  they 
may  experience  from  this  beast  or  woman  Jezebel,  which 
is  another  proof  of  this  being  anti-Christ;  for  the  church 
in  Thyatira  has  long  been  extinct,  if  there  ever  was  such 
a  church,  and  was  when  the  man  of  sin  was  revealed ; 
and  yet  they  are  promised  to  have  none  other  burden  un- 
til he  come,  as  it  is  more  than  implied  ;  and  this  power  is 
to  stand  until  he  comes.  For  Paul  says,  "  Whom  he  shall 
consume  with  the  spirit  of  his  mouth  and  destroy  with  the 
brightness  of  his  coming."  This  is  Daniel's  fourth  king- 
dom, which  was  to  be  broken  without  hand,  and  to  be 
carried  away  like  the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing-floor 
before  the  wind,  that  no  place  be  found  for  it. 

26,  "  And  he  that  overcometh  and  keepeth  my  works 
unto  the  end,  to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations," 
27,  ("  And  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron;  as  the 
vessels  of  a  potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers,)  even 
as  I  received  of  my  Father.  And  I  will  give  him  the 
morning  star."  29,  "He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 
what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the  churches." 

In  closing  the  prophecies  to  the  churches,  our  divine 
Instructor  carries  them  down  to  that  day  when  he  shall 
come  to  be  admired  in  all  them  that  believe,  or  to  glorify 
his  saints,  to  crown  them  his  in  his  kingdom  of  glory,  to 
break  in  pieces  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  as  a  potter's 
vessel  is  broken  to  shivers,  as  the  last  text  says,  which 


144  LECTURE    IX. 

proves  that  when  Christ  comes,  he  will  bring  all  the  saints 
with  him,  and  this  too  when  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
and  anti-Christ  will  be  destroyed.  And  this  proves  an- 
other important  point  in  which  many  good  and  pious  peo- 
ple are  greatly  mistaken,  viz.,  that  there  will  not  be  a 
thousand  years'  happy  reign  previous  to  Christ's  coming 
the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation.  What  happy 
reign  can  there  be  while  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  stand 
as  they  now  do ;  while  the  anti-Christian  beast  has  power 
to  seduce  and  draw  the  servants  of  God  into  idolatry,  and 
lull  to  her  serpentine  folds  thousands  and  tens  of  thou- 
sands human  beings  yearly,  and  deceive  the  nations  by 
her  siren  song  of  mother  church ;  while  by  means  of  her 
poison,  subtle,  secret,  and  deep,  she  is  undermining  and 
sapping  the  foundation  of  every  religious  sect  but  her 
own ;  of  every  civil  government  but  such  as  will  resign 
their  power  unto  her  control  ?  And  now,  while  I  am 
speaking,  she  is  exerting  an  influence  in  this  once  favored 
land,  by  means  of  her  Jesuits,  that  will  set  father  against 
son,  and  son  against  father,  and  drench  our  country  in 
blood.  Can  this  monster  of  murder,  iniquity,  and  blood, 
retain  her  life,  her  standing  in  society,  and  we  have  a 
happy  reign  ?  No.  She  must  and  will  sink  like  a  mill- 
stone in  the  mighty  deep,  and  God  will  avenge  the  blood 
of  his  servants.  Her  flesh  must  be  eaten  by  dogs ;  yes-, 
the  kings  of  the  earth  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and  God  shall 
consume  her  with  fire  before  the  happy  reign  comes. 
**  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly" 


LECTURE    X. 


The  mystery  of  the  seven  stars  which  thou  sawest  in  my  right 
hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks.  The  seven  stars  are 
the  angels  of  the  seven  churches ;  and  the  seven  candlesticks 
which  thou  sawest  are  the  seven  churches. 


In  my  former  lectures  I  have  given  my  views  of  four 
of  the  churches  spoken  of  in  the  text  Three  more  re- 
main, wiiich  will  complete  the  prophetic  history  of  the 
church  through  all  the  ages  of  the  New  Testament  times 
until  the  state  of  trial  shall  be  fulfilled,  and  the  church 
shall  enter  her  glorified  kingdom  in  triumph.  You  have 
undoubtedly  been  led,  by  the  comparison  of  the  churches 
with  the  history  thus  far,  to  admire  the  agreement  of  the 
prophecy  of  the  four  churches  with  the  history  of  the 
times ;  and  truly  this  is  one  of  the  greatest  evidences  we 
have  of  the  truth  of  the  divine  inspiration  of  revelation, 
and  this  evidence  fixes  the  authenticity  of  the  Scriptures 
beyond  a  reasonable  doubt.  I  shall  now  claim  a  few 
moments'  indulgence  while  I  attempt  to  show  where  and 
when  the  other  three  churches  have  been  or  will  be  ful- 
filled.    See  Rev.  iii. 

1,  "  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis  write." 
Song  of  joy,  or  that  which  remains,  is  the  signification 
of  Sardis,  The  last  signification  is  the  one  which  the 
heavenly  Instructor  has  affixed  himself  to  this  church  in 
the  second  verse,  "Be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the 
things  which  remain."  The  church  preceding  this 
had  passed  a  long,  dark,  and  benighted  sge  of  the  world, 
13 


146  LECTURE    X. 

and  every  writer  of  these  times  calls  them  the  dark 
ages ;  and  truly  it  was  an  age  of  superstition,  bigotry, 
and  ignorance  ;  therefore  we  must  reasonably  suppose 
that  but  few  were  the  true  worshippers  of  God,  and 
those  few  enjoying  but  a  faint  knowledge  of  divine 
things.  But  we  will  pursue  our  course.  "  These  things 
saith  he  that  hath  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  and  the 
seven  stars,  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  hast  a  name, 
that  thou  livest,  and  art  dead."  The  same  character 
that  has  addressed  the  other  churches,  still  gives  him- 
self a  quality  by  which  we  may  know  that  it  is  he  who 
is  called  God  man,  having  the  spirit  of  God,  and  as  man 
governing  his  church  as  the  star  of  Bethlehem.  This 
church  began  about  the  tenth  century,  and  lasted  until 
the  Reformation  under  Luther,  Calvin,  and  others. 
They  had  a  name,  were  called  Waldenses,  Valdenses, 
&c,  "  and  art  dead ; "  that  is,  she  was  or  would 
be  of  little  use  to  the  rest  of  the  world,  hiding  her  influ- 
ence within  her  own  sphere,  and  of  course  did  not  mani- 
fest her  light  to  the  world,  was  inactive,  idle,  not  per- 
forming the  work  which  God  had  commanded  them  to 
perform,  to  set  their  light  on  the  candlestand,  that  it 
might  give  light  to  all.  This  was  the  case  with  the 
church  in  the  valleys  of  Piedmont  during  the  time  of  the 
crusades  to  the  Holy  Land;  and  while  the  Pope  had  the 
command  of  all  the  armies  of  Europe,  the  church  lived 
in  these  valleys  of  the  Pyrenees,  nearly  in  the  centre  of 
Europe,  unknowing  and  unknown. 

2d  verse,  "  Be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the  things 
which  remain,  that  are  ready  to  die  ;  for  I  have  not  found 
thy  works  perfect  before  God."  Although  the  church 
in  this  age  retained  some  of  the  leading  principles  of  the 
gospel,  the  ordinances  were  in  part  retained  among 
them,  yet  towards  the  close  of  this  Sardis  age,  the  Papal 
monks  and  priests  were  sent  in  among  them,  and  many 
of  the  Waldenses  became  corrupted  by  the  Papal  beast 
and  her  doctrine.  Therefore  the  admonition,  "  Be  watch- 
ful, and  strengthen  the  things  which  remain." 

3d  verse,  "Remember  how  thou  hast  received  and 
heard,  and  hold  fast  and  repent  If,  therefore,  thou 
shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a  thief,  and  thou 


Christ's  second  coming.  147 

shalt  not  know  what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee."  The 
judgment  threatened  in  this  verse,  "  I  will  come  upon 
thee,"  is  undoubtedly  a  prophecy  of  the  persecution  of 
the  Waldenses  and  Lollards,  by  the  Papal  authority,  and 
through  the  inquisition,  as  an  instrument,  about  the  close 
of  the  fourteenth  century,  when,  for  their  departure  from 
the  true  doctrine  of  the  gospel,  and  the  commands  of 
God,  they  were  persecuted  and  scattered  among  all 
nations,  so  that  by  the  judgments  of  God,  for  their  trans- 
gressions, they  were  made  instruments  in  the  hands  of 
God  of  spreading  the  knowledge  of  the  gospel  among 
the  nations,  which  they  ought  to  have  done  in  obedience 
to  his  word,  and  for  the  love  of  souls.  And  these  judg- 
ments served  the  double  purpose  of  punishment  for  sin, 
and  opening  a  door  for  a  more  general  display  of  sal- 
vation. 

4th  verse,  "  Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis 
which  have  not  defiled  their  garments,  and  they  shall 
walk  with  me  in  white,  for  they  are  worthy."  There 
were  a  few  even  in  this  age  of  moral  darkness  who  fol- 
lowed Christ  in  his  laws  and  ordinances,  and  they 
receive  the  promise  of  justification  before  God,  "  walk 
with  me  in  white." 

5th  verse,  "He  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be 
clothed  in  white  raiment,  and  I  will  not  blot  out  his 
name  out  of  the  book  of  life  ;  but  I  will  confess  his  name 
before  my  Father  and  before  his  angels."  Whenever 
the  phrase,  "  he  that  overcometh,"  is  used,  it  always  im- 
plies, I  think,  in  the  Scriptures,  that  the  persons  addressed 
are,  or  will  pass  through  a  time  of  persecution ;  and  in 
this  text  the  church  in  this  age  is  shown  that  those  only 
who  can  endure  tribulation  and  persecution  will  be 
acknowledged  at  the  bar  of  God  as  the  children  of  faith. 
And  then  this  church  is  again  warned  to  hear  and  be- 
lieve what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the  churches. 

6th  verse,  "  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what 
the  Spirit  saith  to  the  churches." 

I  shall  now  attempt  to  show  to  what  age  we  may  cal- 
culate the  Philadelphia  church  should  answer,  and  when 
this  prophecy  was  fulfilled. 

7th  verse,  "  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Phila- 


148  LECTURE    X. 

delphia  write,  These  things  saith  he  that  is  holy,  he  that 
is  true,  he  that  hath  the  key  of  David,  he  that  openeth 
and  no  man  shutteth,  and  shutteth  and  no  man  openeth." 
This  verse  is  a  description  of  the  character  addressing 
the  church  and  gives  an  account  of  his  holiness,  his  vera- 
city, authority,  and  power,  and  leaves  us  without  a  doubt 
that  it  is  Jesus  the  son  of  David,  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel,  the  faithful  and  true  witness,  he  that  hath  all 
power  in  heaven  and  in  earth.  And  he  thus  addresses 
them,  8th  verse,  "  I  know  thy  works :  behold,  I  have  set 
before  thee  an  open  door,  and  no  man  can  shut  it,  for 
thou  hast  a  little  strength,  and  hast  kept  my  word,  and 
hast  not  denied  my  name."  The  signification  of  the 
name  of  this  church,  Philadelphia,  is  brotherly  love,  and 
this  age  began  about  the  time  of  the  Reformation  ;  for 
then  God  opened  an  effectual  door  for  the  gospel  to  be 
spread  which  no  man  or  set  of  men  has  been  able  to 
shut.  And  the  early  reformers  displayed  a  zeal  and 
fearlessness  in  their  cause  which  astonished  their  friends 
and  confounded  their  enemies.  At  this  time,  too,  Chris- 
tian love  and  fellowship  was  evidently  one  of  the 
strongest  marks  of  the  day  and  manifested  that  the  work 
was  of  God. 

9th  verse,  "  Behold,  I  will  make  them  of  the  syna- 
gogue of  Satan  which  say  they  are  Jews  and  are  not, 
but  do  lie."  The  characters  here  spoken  of  are  the 
same  as  those  who  sit  in  Satan's  seat,  who  profess  to  be 
Christians,  but  are  anti-Christians ;  they  are  worshippers 
of  the  Papal  beast,  professing  to  be  the  mother  church, 
but  are  only  that  part  which  are  fallen  away,  as  Paul 
has  told  us,  "  there  should  come  a  falling  away  first,  and 
then  the  man  of  sin  should  be  revealed,  who  opposeth, 
(or  is  anti,)and  exalteth  himself  (calling  themselves  Jews, 
a  figurative  expression,  or  name  for  Christian)  above 
all  that  is  called  God."  "  Behold,  I  will  make  them  to 
come  and  worship  before  thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I 
have  loved  thee."  This  sentence  shows  that  anti-Christ 
"would  be  humbled  in  this  age  of  the  church  and  brought 
to  take  the  back  ground,  or  in  some  measure  lose  her 
civil  power  over  the  Protestant  church  and  be  humbled 
at  her  feet    Has  not  this  prophecy  been  accomplished 


Christ's  second  coming.  149 

strictly  according  to  the  letter  ?  Witness  Great  Britain, 
Germany,  and  other  nations.  And  to  this  day  she  has 
not  been  able  to  bring  into  subjection  any  of  the  Protes- 
tant states,  and  is  only  permitted  to  dwell  among  them  by 
toleration.  And  although  within  a  few  years  past  she 
seems  to  be  making  an  effort  to  regain  her  lost  power 
and  authority,  yet  it  is  but  a  last  struggle,  a  dying  gasp ; 
for  soon  she  must  and  will  fall,  to  rise  in  civil  power  no 
more  forever. 

10th  verse,  "  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  my 
patience,  I  also  will  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  tempta- 
tion which  shall  come  upon  all  the  world  to  try  them  that 
dwell  upon  the  earth."  This  part  of  the  prophecy  Avas 
fulfilled  on  or  before  the  French  revolution,  when  Athe- 
ism and  Deism  made  such  rapid  progress  through 
Europe  or  the  Roman  government,  which  in  prophecy  is 
called  the  earth.  See  Rev.  xii.  9.  And  it  is  a  fact,  that 
through  this  age  of  profligacy  and  corruption,  the  church 
retained  her  principles  as  pure  and  with  as  little  defec- 
tion as  any  age  in  modern  times  ;  although  men  of  the 
world  were  led  away  by  the  plausible  writings  of  Vol- 
taire, Hume,  Tom  Paine,  and  others,  yet  it  had  no  effect 
on  the  Christian  church :  and  the  promise,  "  I  will  keep 
thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation,"  was  fully  and  faith- 
fully accomplished ;  and  the  very  means  that  Satan  used 
to  destroy  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  "  the  twelve 
fishermen,"  was  the  means  of  bringing  the  church  out 
of  the  wilderness.  And  those  governments  of  the  world 
which  had  for  more  than  twelve  centuries  persecuted 
the  children  of  God,  now  granted  free  toleration  for  all 
men  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  their 
own  conscience.  And  from  this  period  we  may  see  the 
"  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven  having  the 
everlasting  gospel  to  preach  to  them  that  dwell  on  the 
earth."  Now  the  church  began  to  awake  to  the  subject 
of  missions  ;  and  while  the  world  was  tempted  and  tried, 
the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  shaken  to  their  centre,  (yet 
not  destroyed ;)  while  the  civil  power  of  the  mother  of 
harlots,  the  inquisition  of  Spain,  and  the  horrible  means 
of  torture,  persecution,  slavery,  and  cruelty,  were  all 
swept  away  in  one  revolution,  —  the  church,  by  the  power 


150  LECTURE    X. 

of  Him  who  had  promised  to  "keep  them,"  passed 
through  the  fiery  ordeal  without  the  smell  of  fire  on  her 
garments. 

11th  verse,  "Behold,  I  come  quickly;  hold  that  fast 
which  thou  hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown."  In  this 
verse  we  have  notice  of  his  second  coming,  and  that  it 
would  be  quickly ;  by  which  I  understand  that  the  age 
of  the  seventh  church,  which  was  yet  to  come,  would  be 
short,  and  the  second  coming  of  him,  who  will  overcome 
and  subdue  all  things,  would  be  quickly.  He  likewise 
admonishes  us  to  hold  fast  that  which  we  have,  giving 
us,  as  I  understand,  warning  that  the  next  age  of  the 
church  would  be  an  age  of  invention  \  of  lo  heres,  of 
departure  from  the  true  faith,  of  denying  the  crown  of 
the  church,  the  twelve  stars,  the  apostles'  doctrine.  And 
amidst  the  confusion  of  the  doctrines  arid  revelations  of 
the  present  day,  if  any  one  should  inquire  of  me  what 
sentiment  it  would  be  best  for  them  to  embrace,  I  would 
first  point  them  to  the  Bible,  and  second,  back  to  the 
fathers  and  teachers  of  the  last  century,  and  say,  Hold 
fast  that  they  held ;  let.  no  man  take  thy  crown.  Let  us 
then,  my  brethren,  be  watchful,  and  remember  "him  that 
overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my 
God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out ;  and  I  will  write 
upon  him  the  name  of  my  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city 
of  my  God,  which  is  New  Jerusalem,  which  cometh 
down  out  of  heaven  from  my  God ;  and  I  will  write  upon 
him  my  new  name."  The  blessings  promised  in  this 
text  are  to  be  realized  when  the  New  Jerusalem  comes 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven ;  then  shall  the  spiritual 
born  child  of  heaven  be  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  God,  in 
that  building  made  without  hands  ;  then,  too,  will  he 
receive  that  rich  inheritance  that  is  laid  up  in  heaven  for 
those  that  love  God,  and  there  obtain  that  eternal  crown, 
that  immortal  life  which  is  now  hid  with  Christ  in  God, 
and  then  and  there  realize  that  "  blessed  hope  at  the 
glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Savior 
Jesus  Christ-"  "  And  he  shall  go  no  more  out "  of  that 
glorious  temple ;  no  tempting  devil  there,  for  he  will  be 
chained ;  no  persecuting  kingdom,  for  they  will  "  all  be 
destroyed  and  carried  away  like  the  chat?  of  the  summer 


cpirist's  second  coming.  151 

threshing-floor."  Then  will  he  receive  the  new  name, 
"  The  Lord  our  righteousness,"  for  the  Lord  is  there. 
Then,  too,  a  citizen  of  the  glorified  kingdom,  the  New 
Jerusalem,  married  to  the  Lamb,  and  shall  live  and  reign 
with  him  forever  and  forever.  "He  that  hath  an  ear, 
let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches." 
This  closes  the  prophecy  to  the  sixth  church ;  and  now 
let  us  see  to  it  that  we  do  not  lose  the  blessings  promised 
by  refusing  to  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the  churches. 
Hear,  and  your  souls  shall  liv°, ;  disobey,  turn  a  deaf 
ear,  refuse  the  offered  grace,  rmd  you  will  die  ;  for  the 
soul  that  sinneth  shall  die. 

It  now  remains  for  me  to  show  the  age  of  the  seventh 
or  Laodicean  church,  and  the  characteristic  marks  of 
that  church  or  age.  And.  if  I  am  right  in  considering 
these  churches  in  a  mystical  sense,  as  our  text  more 
than  implies,  and  our  arguments  and  references  strongly 
prove,  in  my  humble  opinion,  then,  this  part  of  our  sub- 
ject becomes  doubly  interesting  to  us,  who  live  in  the 
very  age  of  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy.  Yes,  my 
brethren,  we  live  at  the  very  time  when  the  great  head 
of  the  church  says, 

14th  verse,  "  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Laodicea  write,  These  things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful 
and  true  witness,  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God." 
Laodicea  signifies  the  judging  of  the  people,  and  may 
have  reference  to  the  church  in  its  last  stage,  when  God 
would  pour  out  his  justice  and  judgment  upon  a  guilty 
world,  and  upon  a  haughty,  proud,  and  self- exalted 
church,  and  spue  them  out  of  his  mouth.  This  idea  may 
be  warranted  from  the  subject  in  connection.  The  ad- 
dress to  this  church  begins  by  showing  that  it  is  the 
closing  up  of  this  dispensation,  by  saying,  "  These  things 
saith  the  Amen."  It  also  teaches  us  that  it  commences 
the  judgment,  or  prepares  for  a  judgment,  by  bringing 
forward  "  the  faithful  and  true  witness."  It  also  shows 
the  universality  of  this  judgment  by  the  knowledge  of 
the  witness  being  "  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of 
God." 

15th  verse,  "  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither 
cold  nor  hot :  I  would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot"     To  be 


152  LECTURE    X. 

neither  cold  nor  hot  in  religious  things  implies  a  pro« 
fession  of  religion  without  a  spiritual  life,  or  the  middle 
way  between  the  world  and  Christ;  taking  much  pains 
after  worldly  things,  to  the  neglect  of  spiritual  things  ; 
endeavoring  to  move  between  the  doctrine  of  Christ  and 
the  doctrine  of  men ;  taking  the  middle  ground,  as  I  have 
often  heard  it  expressed. 

16th  verse,  "  So  then,  because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and 
neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  my  mouth." 
For  this  cause,  that  is,  because  they  are  engaged  more 
for  show,  honors,  or  profits  of  this  world  than  for  God,  he 
would  spue  them  out  of  his  mouth.  The  word  spue  is 
used  in  three  places  in  Scripture,  besides  the  one  under 
consideration;  in  Levit.  xviii.  28,  xx. 22,  Jer.  xxv.  27; 
and  in  all  these  places  stands  connected  with  the  judg- 
ments of  God  upon  Israel,  or  the  nations  spoken  of,  and 
implies  a  shaking  out  or  driving  from  their  present 
standing,  either  among  nations  or  in  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  as  the  case  may  be.  And  this  passage,  I  suppose, 
alludes  to  the  time  when  God  hath  promised,  saying, 
"Yet  once  more  I  shake  not  the  earth  only,  but  also 
heaven,"  Heb.  xii.  26.  So  Ave  may  expect  a  shaking 
of  the  church  of  Christ,  if  this  is  the  age  spoken  of,  that 
those  things  which  cannot  be  shaken  may  remain.  This, 
too,  is  the  age  when  the  wise  and  foolish  virgins  are 
sleeping  and  slumbering  together. 

17th  verse,  "  Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  and  in- 
creased with  goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing,  and  know- 
est  not  that  thou  art  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor, 
and  blind,  and  naked."  Our  heavenly  Instructor  has 
given  us  in  this  verse  the  reason  why  they  are  lukewarm ; 
"  because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich."  The  church  in  this 
Laodicean  state,  like  the  rich  man,  will  be  laying  up 
goods,  or  making  great  calculations  for  the  outward  or 
worldly  concerns  of  the  church  for  many  years  to  come, 
building  places  for  worship,  establishing  colleges,  high 
schools,  academies,  theological  institutions,  to  raise  up 
a  popular  ministry,  that  the  world  may  be  pleased,  the 
ministry  well  supported,  and  they  become  the  most  popu- 
lar sect  of  the  day,"  increased  with  goods."  This,  too, 
is  the  church.     What  shall  be  called  the  ffoods  of  the 


Christ's  second  coming.  1&3 

church  ?  It  is  those  contributions  which  are  depositee 
for  charitable  and  pious  uses,  such  as  Paul  informed  his 
brethren  to  lay  by  them  in  store  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week.  These  will  be  increased  to  a  great  and  astonish- 
ing degree  in  this  age  of  the  church.  Theological 
writings  and  publications,  too,  are  the  goods  of  the 
church :  there  will  be  a  great  increase  of  these.  "  Come, 
see  what  great  things  we  are  doing,"  will  be  the  general 
language  of  the  church,  and  the  names  of  donors  and 
the  sums  they  contribute  will  be  published  through  the 
world.  "  And  knowest  not  that  thou  art  wretched. " 
The  corruptions  of  the  church  will  be  kept  out  of  sight ; 
and  pride,  popularity,  self-righteousness,  depravity,  will 
be  the  besetting  sins  of  the  members  and  great  body  of 
public  professors,  and  few,  very  few  of  the  ministers  of 
the  churches  will  be  valiant  or  bold  enough  to  tell  them 
the  truth.  "  And  miserable."  Real  piety  will  be  very 
little  enjoyed ;  the  hopes  of  a  large  body  of  professors 
will  be  but  the  hope  of  a  hypocrite.  "  And  poor."  With- 
out a  tried  faith,  suffering  but  little  or  no  persecution, 
the  church  will  lack  those  riches  which  are  more  precious 
than  fine  gold,  the  trial  of  their  faith.  "  And  blind," 
without  faith,  living  by  things  seen  more  than  on  the 
promises  of  God.  "  And  naked,"  having  on  their  own 
righteousness.  "I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  gold  tried 
in  the  fire."  That  is,  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true 
witness,  counsels  the  Laodicean  church  to  buy  the  gold 
tried  in  the  fire,  which  may  mean  either  that  faith  which 
will  stand  the  fiery  trial  of  temptation  and  persecution, 
or  that  truth  which  is  like  "  apples  of  gold  in  pictures 
of  silver ; "  "  that  thou  may  est  be  rich ;  "  rich  in  faith  or 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  truth ;  "  and  white  raiment  that 
thou  mayest  be  clothed?  that  raiment  which  John  saw 
the  saints  in  heaven  clothed  with,  which  is  the  righte- 
ousness of  the  saints,  the  imputed  righteousness  of 
Christ, "  the  Lord  our  righteousness"  If  it  is  not  so,  why 
counsel  the  church  to  buy  of  him  ?  Yes,  my  brethren, 
we  are  counselled  to  buy  a  raiment  without  spot  or 
wrinkle,  "  and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  do  not 
appear."  Truly,  when  Christ  comes,  and  we  find  we  have 
been  trusting  in  self,  although  we  have  called  ourselves 


154  LECTURE    X. 

by  his  name,  we  have  worn  our  own  clothing,  and  eat 
our  own  bread,  and  instead  of  being  clothed  upon,  we 
shall  find  ourselves  naked.  Shall  we  not  be  ashamed 
before  him  at  his  coming,  if  we  are  in  this  situation 
when  he  comes  ?  O,  what  an  awful  thought !  There- 
fore let  us  now  receive  the  further  admonition,  "  And 
anoint  thine  eyes  with  eye-salve,  that  thou  mayest  see." 
To  anoint  the  eyes,  in  a  figurative  sense,  is  to  examine 
the  truth  and  evidences  of  Scripture,  that  we  may  see 
clearly  our  state  and  standing  as  it  respects  our  charac- 
ter towards  God  and  our  hope  in  his  future  aid,  promises, 
and  blessings,  It  is  to  see  our  sins,  and  feel  the  need 
of  help,  to  know  our  weakness,  and  trust  in  his  strength 
—  in  one  word,  it  is  to  repent  and  believe  in  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ.  For  he  says,  "  As  many  as  I  love  I  re- 
buke and  chasten:  be  zealous  therefore  and  repent" 
Here,  then,  is  one  comfortable  promise  to  this  lukewarm 
church.  If  there  is  any  tried,  chastened,  penitent  soul 
in  this  church,  this  Laodicean  state  or  age  of  the  church, 
they  have  the  promise  of  his  love,  his  everlasting  love, 
his  unchangeable  love  ;  his  loving  kindness  he  will  not 
take  from  him,  although  he  should  "  visit  their  trans- 
gressions with  a  rod,  and  their  iniquity  with  stripes." 
Be  zealous,  therefore,  brethren,  and  repent 

20th  verse,  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock." 
He  that  is  the  "  Amen  "  is  now  at  the  door.  In  this  La- 
odicean age  of  the  church  he  comes  ;  he  knocks  by  his 
judgments,  by  the  fulfilment  of  the  signs,  by  his  word, 
by  all  the  means  of  grace  that  God  has  ever  used  to 
alarm  the  sleepy,  slumbering  virgins  of  his  approach. 
He  gives  the  cautionary  word,  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the 
door  and  knock ;  if  any  man  hear  my  voice  and  open  the 
door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  wall  sup  with  him,  and 
he  with  me."  In  this  passage  of  prophecy  we  are  brought 
down  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb  —  another 
and  a  strong  testimony  that  the  churches  are  to  be  con- 
sidered in  a  mystical  sense,  and  the  language  or  subject 
prophetical.  For  this  is  certainly  the  saying  of  Jesus, 
the  faithful  and  true  witness  ;  "  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
is  the  spirit  of  prophecy."  Rev.  xix.  7 — 9,  "  Let  us  re- 
joice and  be  glad,  and  give  honor  to  him  ;  for  the  mar- 


Christ's  second  coming.  155 

riage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife  hath  made 
herself  ready.  And  to  her  was  granted  that  she  should 
be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white  ;  for  the  fine 
linen  is  the  righteousness  of  saints.  And  he  saith  unto 
me,  Write,  Blessed  are  they  which  are  called  to  the 
marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  And  he  saith  unto  me, 
These  are  the  true  sayings  of  God."  We  see,  my  friends, 
by  the  similarity  of  the  sentiments  given  in  the  marriage 
supper,  and  those  admonitions  and  prophecies  to  the 
Laodicean  church,  that  they  must  mean  one  and  the 
same  event.  To  hear  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom,  and 
to  open  the  door,  and  go  out  to  meet  him,  is  the  way 
which  the  bride  makes  herself  ready ;  and  his  supping 
with  them  and  they  with  him,  shows  that  it  is  when 
Christ  shall  come,  and  live,  and  reign  with  them. 

"  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me 
in  my  throne,  even  as  1  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down 
with  my  Father  in  his  throne."  Here  is  another  expres- 
sion which  proves  we  are  brought  down  to  the  end  of 
time,  "  to  him  thai  overcometh"  What  can  the  faithful 
and  true  witness  mean  by  this  expression  ?  He  explains 
himself,  "  even  as  I  also  overcame.''''  How  did  Christ  over- 
come when  he  sat  down  with  his  Father  ?  I  answer,  By 
bursting  the  bands  of  death,  by  conquering  the  grave,  he 
arose  a  glorious  conqueror,  and  was  seated  at  the  right 
hand  of  God.  Then  this  is  the  true  meaning  of  the  text, 
to  him,  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection,  will  I  grant 
to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne.  "  Blessed  and  holy  is  he 
that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection;  on  such  the  sec- 
ond death  hath  no  power ;  but  they  shall  be  kings  and 
priests  of  God,  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign  with  him." 
What  light  m^y  we  not  receive  from  the  word  of  God, 
when  taken  together,  when  explained  by  its  own  lan- 
guage, when  kept  unbroken !  "  He  that  hath  an  ear, 
let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches." 
This  closes  what  1  call,  and  what  Christ,  I  think,  calls, 
a  prophecy.  "  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that 
hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things 
which  are  written  therein ;  for  the  time  is  at  hand." 

This  Laodicean  church  began  about  A.  D.  1 798,  and 
will  last  the  forty-five  years.    When  this  dispensation 


, 


156  LECTURE   X. 

will  close,  the  ^udgment  will  set,  and  the  books  will  be 
opened  ;  the  hypocrites  will  be  spued  out  of  the  church, 
and  the  sanctuary  cleansed. 

Will  the  situation  of  the  church,  the  character  of 
Christians,  the  doctrines  taught,  and  the  signs  of  the 
times  warrant  us  to  believe  that  we  live  in  the  Laodicean 
age  of  the  church  ?  Let  us  for  a  moment  examine  the 
evidence  and  see. 

]st.  The  situation  of  the  church,  enjoying  peace  in 
and  among  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth,  enjoying  all  the 
privileges  of  citizens  without  persecution,  making  great 
and  many  improvements  in  her  worldly  concerns,  rich  in 
this  world's  goods,  having  at  her  command  many  millions 
of  funds,  and  almost  swaying  the  destinies  of  the  world ; 
great,  learned  and  rich  men  enlisting  under  her  banners, 
controlling  the  fashions,  customs,  and  laws  of  the  day, 
swaying  a  mighty  influence  over  the  education  of  our 
youth,  and  giving  a  general  tone  to  the  literature  of  the 
world,  increasing  her  demands  for  power,  establishing 
bishoprics,  presbyteries,  national  and  state  conventions, 
conferences,  councils,  associations,  consociations,  socie- 
ties innumerable  ;  and  all  these  controlled  almost  exclu- 
sively by  her  clergy.  May  we  not  say  truly,  "  She  is  rich 
and  increased  in  goods  ?  "  But  is  this  all  ?  No.  Look 
at  her  colleges,  theological  schools,  academies,  deposito- 
ries, public  edifices,  presses,  theological  writings  and 
publications,  in  almost  every  nation,  kingdom,  state,  and 
territory,  and  in  this  country  in  almost  every  county  and 
town ;  and  all  this  by  contributions.  Well  may  it  be 
said,  she  has  need  of  nothing.  These  things,  too,  among 
all  sects  and  denominations,  one  cannot  outdo  another 
apparently,  yet  each  is  striving  for  the  msstery. 

2d.  The  characters  of  Christians  generally.  In  speak- 
ing of  the  character  of  our  brethren,  it  becomes  the  speak- 
er to  be  very  careful  and  unassuming,  for  God  has  not 
made  him  a  judge  over  his  brethren.  Therefore,  to  judge 
this  one  is  right,  and  that  one  wrong,  we  shall  leave  for 
the  judgment  seat  of  Christ.  But  on  a  general  scale 
surely  we  may  be  allowed  to  examine  and  compare  our- 
selves with  the  prophecies.  In  all  ages  back,  Christians, 
when  living  godly,  have  been  a  poor,  despised,  persecu- 


Christ's  second  coming.  157 

ted  people,  pilgrims  and  strangers  in  the  world,  plainly 
showing-  that  this  is  not  their  continuing-  city,  but  that 
they  are  seeking-  one  to  come.  But  is  it  so  now  ?  Have 
not  professors  generally,  for  more  than  thirty  yea^Fs, 
been  seeking-  for  the  riches  of  this  life,  for  the  honors 
of  the  world,  and  following-  the  fashions  of  the  times  as 
greedily  as  men  of  the  world  ?  Yes.  And  can  we  dis- 
tinguish a  professor  of  religion  in  our  public  assemblies 
from  a  man  of  the  world,  except  we  are  informed  ?  No. 
Where,  then,  do  Christians  plainly  show  they  seek  a 
better  country  ?  Nowhere.  May  we  not  live  in  the 
same  neighborhood  with  professors  for  years,  and  not 
hear  them  recommend  the  religion  they  profess  ?  Yes. 
But  do  we  not  hear  the  same  persons  talk  freely,  flippantly, 
and  zealously  about  the  world,  the  politics  and  the  fashions 
of  the  day  ?  Yes.  Is  it  not  a  general  complaint  with 
all  of  our  churches,  of  coldness,  of  a  want  of  spiritual 
life,  and  a  great  failure  in  active  spiritual  duties  ?  Yes. 
Has  not  a  spirit  of  sloth  and  supineness  seized  upon 
professors  generally  ?  Do  not  many  think,  if  they  have 
a  hired  servant  to  talk  religion,  and  visit  the  widow 
and  fatherless,  and  keep  themselves  unspotted  from  the 
world,  for  them  it  is  enough  ?  Yes.  And  does  not  all 
this,  and  much  more  which  might  with  truth  be  said  on 
this  point,  declare  loudly  that  the  professors  of  Chris- 
tianity, generally,  are  in  a  lukewarm  state  ?  Yes.  We 
must  respond,  Yes. 

The  doctrine  taught.  Here  again  your  speaker  feels 
a  diffidence  in  speaking  on  this  subject,  knowing  that 
many  great,  learned,  and  good  men  diner  on  this  point ; 
but  we  must  all  stand  or  fall  to  our  own  Master,  and  I 
must  answer  how  I  speak  or  shun  to  declare  the  whole 
counsel  of  God.  Your  speaker  believes  that  the  de- 
pravity of  the  human  heart,  our  dependence  on  God,  and 
indebtedness  to  grace,  are  abundantly  taught  in  the 
Scriptures.  See  Eph.  ii.  4 — 13.  But  how  stands  this 
doctrine  with  our  public  proclaimers  at  the  present  day  ? 
Some  few  may  preach  it,  but  there  is  more  than  ten  to 
one  who  do  not  preach  it,  or,  if  they  do,  they  so  cover  it 
up  by  their  plausible  and  specious  reasoning,  that  the 
force  of  the  doctrine  and  the  object  of  the  inspired 
14 


158  LECTURE    X. 

writers  are  wholly  lost.  We  are  now  taught  that  man 
can  make  himself  a  Christian  as  easily  as  he  can  turn 
abxmt  in  the  highway ;  that  ohedience  or  baptism  is  re- 
generation ;  that  works  are  the  medium  of  acceptance 
with  God,  and  that  the  righteousness  of  Christ  is  not 
imputed.  How  can  such  doctrine  be  more  clearly 
pointed  out  than  it  is  by  the  "  faithful  and  true  witness" 
to  the  Laodicean  church  ?  "  And  knowest  not  that  thou 
art  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and 
naked."  That  is,  they  know  not  their  depravity.  "1 
counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  (see  here  their  dependence  on 
God)  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  that  thou  mayest  be  rich ; 
and  white  raiment,  that  thou  mayest  be  clothed,  that  the 
shame  of  thy  nakedness  do  not  appear;  and  anoint  thine 
eyes  with  eye-salve,  that  thou  mayest  see."  Grace, 
grace,  from  the  foundation  to  the  top  stone.  Surely,  my 
dear  friends,  no  candid  observer  of  the  doctrine  taught 
at  the  present  day,  but  what  must  in  his  heart  acknowl- 
edge that  the  doctrine  taught  by  many,  among  the  dif- 
ferent sects,  is  the  same  described  by  our  divine  Master 
in  the  prophecy  to  the  Laodicean  church. 

The  signs  of  the  times.  In  the  close  of  Christ's  in- 
structions to  the  church  under  consideration,  he  says, 
"  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock ;  if  any  man  hear 
my  voice,"  &c.  Daniel  says,  "  At  that  time  shall  Mi- 
chael stand  up,  the  great  Prince  that  standeth  up  for  the 
children  of  thy  people."  And  Christ  says,  "  For  many 
shall  come  in  my  name,  saying,  I  am  Christ,  and  shall 
deceive  many."  These  were  particular  signs  given  by 
Christ  and  the  prophets.  And  how  have  these  come  to 
pass  ?  Witness  the  great  and  many  reformations  which 
for  thirty  years  have  progressed  in  our  land,  in  Europe, 
and  the  islands  of  the  seas.  See  also  the  word  of  God 
published,  in  whole  or  in  part,  among  all  nations.  See 
the  missionaries  of  the  gospel  running  to  and  fro  through 
the  whole  earth.  Do  not  these  indicate  that  Christ 
stands  at  the  door,  and  that  his  voice  has  gone  out  even 
unto  the  ends  of  the  world,  and  that  Michael  has  stood 
up  for  the  children  of  thy  people  ?  Yes.  Again  :  how 
many  new  sects  have  arisen,  how  many  false  Christs  have 
come  in  this  blaze  of  gospel  light,  and  are  drawing  away 


Christ's  second  coming.  159 

their  hundreds  and  thousands  after  them  !  It  is  almost 
incredible,  when  we  take  into  view  the  light  and  knowl- 
edge under  which  we  live ;  but  all  go  to  prove  that 
Christ  is  nigh,  even  at  the  door. 

In  reviewing  our  subject,  we  learn  by  the  events  of 
the  Sardis  church,  and  by  the  admonitions  given,  our 
duty  to  guard  against  the  introduction  of  errors  into  the 
church,  and  to  strengthen  ourselves  in  the  truth ;  and 
likewise  of  being  active  in  all  the  duties  of  religion,  that 
we  may  not  only  have  a  name  to  live,  but  have  the  life 
and  power  of  the  gospel,  that  we  may  resist  all  the 
temptations  and  fiery  darts  of  the  enemies  of  the 
church. 

By  the  church  of  Philadelphia,  we  learn  that  if  we 
keep  the  word  of  God  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ, 
he  will  keep  us  from  those  trials  and  judgments  which 
he  sends  on  an  ungodly  and  rebellious  people,  and  that 
God  has  opened  a  door  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel, 
which  no  power  on  earth  will  be  able  to  shut,  until  the 
angel  standing  on  the  sea  and  on  the  land,  shall  swear 
that  time  shall  be  no  longer.  We  also  learn  the  impor- 
tance of  having  brotherly  love  and  perseverance  in  holy 
things,  that  no  man  take  from  us  the  crown  which  is  laid 
up  for  those  that  love  God,  and  which  will  be  given  to 
them  who  remain  steadfast  in  Christ  Jesus  at  his  coming, 
which  is  promised  quickly  to  this  church. 

By  the  Laodicean  church,  we  learn  the  important  les- 
son that  we  cannot  serve  two  masters ;  we  cannot  love 
the  present  evil  world,  and  at  the  same  time  be  the  ser- 
vants of  God;  that  to  be  lukewarm  in  religion  is  to  be 
cast  out  of  his  presence,  and  call  down  the  vengeance  of 
God's  final  judgment  upon  our  heads,  and,  while  we  may 
flatter  ourselves  that  we  are  righteous,  find  to  our  ever 
lasting  shame,  that  we  are  wretched,  miserable,  poor 
blind,  and  naked. 

Think,  O  think,  my  dear  friends,  you  that  are  trusting 
in  your  own  goodness,  when  that  day  of  justice  shall 
come,  and  the  faithful  and  true  witness  shall  stand 
against  you,  when  your  goodness  shall  pass  away  like  the 
morning  cloud,  and  the  righteous  Judge  shall  pronounce 


160  LECTURE   X. 

the  dreadful  sentence,  Depart  —  what  must  be  your 
feelings !  The  -world,  which  you  here  worshipped,  is 
burning  up  ;  the  friends  with  whom  you  here  associated 
are  gone  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  or  are  sinking  with 
you  into  endless  and  hopeless  misery.  The  Savior, 
whose  name  you  are  now  ashamed  to  own,  or  whose 
righteousness  you  think  you  need  not,  is  now  your  Judge, 
seated  on  a  great  white  throne,  from  whose  face  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  shall  flee  away.  Think,  O  sinner! 
where  wilt  thou  be  found ! 


LECTURE    XI 


REV.  v.  9,  10. 


And  they  sung  a  new  song,  saying,  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the 
book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof  j  for  thou  wast  slain,  and 
hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of  every  kindred, 
and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation  ;  and  hast  made  us  unto  our 
God  kings  and  priests ;  and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth. 


There  is  such  harmony,  beauty,  and  knowledge  m 
every  part  of  the  word  of  God,  that  the  Bible  student, 
whose  heart  is  interested  in  the  same,  has  often,  while 
reading,  been  led  to  stop  and  admire  the  order,  wisdom, 
and  light  which  burst  upon  his  enraptured  vision,  at  the 
unfolding  of  the  figures  and  truths  which  until  that  mo- 
ment, perhaps,  lay  in  darkness,  doubt,  and  obscurity,  and 
seemed  to  be  wrapped  up  in  a  mysterious  veil  that  al- 
most makes  the  reader  quail,  and  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  he  is  treading  on  forbidden  ground ;  but,  perhaps, 
in  an  unexpected  moment,  the  inspired  penman,  seem- 
ingly having  anticipated  our  ignorance  or  darkness, 
throws  out  a  spark  of  that  live  coal  which  had  touched 
his  lips,  and  our  darkness  is  dispelled,  ignorance  vanishes 
before  the  fulness  of  knowledge  of  the  word  of  God, 
and  we  stand  reproved  and  admonished  for  our  stupidity 
and  ignorance  in  the  figures  and  truths  before  explained. 
Our  text  is  a  brilliant  spark  of  that  fire  which  is  upon 
the  altar  between  the  cherubims,  and  gives  us  a  clear 
ray  of  light  to  discover  the  allusion  of  the  figures  con- 
tained in  the  fourth  and  fifth  chapters  of  this  Sook.  It  is 
conveyed  unto  us  by  way  of  a  chorus,  like  the  angel's 
14* 


162  LECTURE    XI. 

song-  at  the  birth  of  our  Savior  in  Bethlehem  of  Judea. 
It  explains  to  us  in  a  divine  song  what  the  four  beasts 
are,  and  gives  a  key  to  unlock  the  mystery  of  the  twenty- 
four  elders,  and  clearly  shows  who  opens  the  seals  of 
the  book.     I  shall,  in  illustrating  this  subject,  inquire 

I.  Who  they  were  that  sung  this  new  song ; 

II.  Show  the  song,  and  the  occasion  of  it ;  and, 

III.  Speak  of  the  reign  and  the  place  where. 

I.  We  are  to  inquire  who  are  the  singers  in  this 
grand  chorus.  The  prophet  calls  them  "the  four 
beasts,"  or,  as  it  might  have  been  more  properly  transla- 
ted, four  animate  beings ;  and  the  "  four  and  twenty 
elders,"  he  also  calls  them  "  saints,"  See  the  8th  verse, 
"  And  when  he  had  taken  the  book,  the  four  beasts  and 
four  and  twenty  elders  fell  down  before  the  Lamb,  hav- 
ing every  one  of  them  harps  and  golden  vials  full  of 
odors,  which  are  the  prayers  of  the  saints."  Then  comes 
in  our  text,  "  And  they  sung  a  new  song,"  &c.  The 
four  beasts  is  a  figurative  representation  of  the  whole 
New  Testament  church,  not  only  in  character,  but  in 
chronology,  representing  the  four  different  stages  of  trial 
through  which  the  church  should  pass  in  her  pilgrimage 
in  the  wilderness  of  this  world,  before  she  would  enter 
the  visible  kingdom  of  her  glorious  Redeemer,  the  New 
Jerusalem,  and  reign  on  the  earth.  And  every  individ- 
ual Christian,  who  may  live  any  length  of  time  after  his 
conversion,  passes  through  some  or  all  of  these  states  of 
trial.  The  four  and  twenty  elders  are  the  twelve  patri- 
archs, which  are  sometimes  called  prophets,  and  the 
twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb.  For  it  is  said,  we  are 
built  on  the  prophets  and  apostles,  Jesus  Christ  being 
the  chief  corner-stone ;  and  figuratively  it  may  represent 
the  faithful  and  true  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  same 
as  the  twenty-four  courses  of  the  priesthood  under  the 
Jewish  economy.  See  1  Chron.  xxiv.  7 — 19.  And  the 
four  beasts  are  typified  by  the  four  grand  divisions  of 
the  Jewish  camp  under  Moses.  The  first,  on  the  east, 
Was  to  follow  the  standard  of  Judah  ;  that  on  the  south 
side,  and  second  in  the  march,  wa3  the  standard  of  Reu- 
ben ;  on  the  west  side,  Ephraim,  and  his,  was  the  third 
standard  in  the  march;  on  the  north  side  was  Dan'a 


Christ's  second  coming,  163 

standard  and  Dan  brought  up  the  rear  in  the  march  of 
the  Jews  through  the  wilderness.  What  their  several 
standards  were,  I  cannot  tell,  except  that  of  Judah, 
which  marched  in  front,  immediately  after  the  ark,  which 
in  all  probability  was  a  lion.  And  our  "  first  beast " 
under  consideration  was  "like  a  lion,  and  the  seconds 
beast  like  a  calf,  and  the  third  beast  had  a  face  as  a  man, 
and  the  fourth  beast  was  like  a  flying  eagle."  These 
represent  the  four  grand  divisions  of  the  gospel  church. 
The  first  represents  the  church  in  the  apostolic  age, 
when  the  church  went  forth,  bold  as  a  lion,  preaching 
and  proclaiming  the  gospel  among  all  nations.  The 
second  state  or  division  of  the  church  was  the  times  of 
persecution  and  slaughter  by  the  Roman  emperors, 
represented  by  the  calf.  The  third  state  of  the  church 
was  in  Constantine's  day,  when  the  church  enjoyed 
privileges  as  a  man,  and  became  independent,  and  like 
a  natural  man,  proud,  avaricious,  and  worldly.  The 
fourth  and  last  state  of  trial  was  when  the  anti-Christian 
beast  arose  ;  and,  under  the  scourge  of  this  abomination, 
the  church  having  two  wings  given  her,  like  the  wings 
of  an  eagle,  she  flew  into  the  wilderness,  where,  a  place 
being  prepared  for  her,  she  is  nourished  from  the  face  of 
the  serpent  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore 
days,  Rev.  xii.  6, 14. 

This  of  course  would  include  the  whole  Christian 
church  until  Christ's  second  coming,  when  anti-Christ 
will  be  destroyed,  and  the  church  delivered  from  all 
her  foes,  and  brought  into  her  New  Jerusalem  state, 
where  John  now  sees  in  his  vision  the  whole  family  of 
the  redeemed,  singing  the  grand  chorus  as  in  the  verses 
following  our  text.  "  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the 
voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and  the 
beasts,  and  the  elders  ;  and  the  number  of  them  was  ten 
thousand  times  ten  thousands  and  thousands  of  thou- 
sands." In  this  vision  John  has  the  same  view  which 
Daniel  had  in  his  vision.  See  Daniel  vii.  10.  Daniel 
saw  the  same  throne,  and  the  same  numbers  stood  before 
it;  which  proves,  almost  beyond  a  doubt  that  Daniel's 
vision  carries  us  into  the  eternal,  immortal,  and  glorified 


164  LECTURE    XI. 

statef;  for  John,  in  the  next  verses,  carries  us  into  the 
eternal  state  of  the  righteous. 

12th  verse,  "  Saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is  the 
Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and 
wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing. 
And  every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the 
earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea, 
and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying,  Blessing,  and 
honor,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  forever  and  ever. 
And  the  four  beasts  said,  Amen.  And  the  four  and 
twenty  elders  fell  down  and  worshipped  him  that  liveth 
forever  and  ever."  Nothing  can  be  more  evident  than 
that  John  here  saw  the  whole  family  of  the  redeemed, 
as  they  will  be  after  the  first  resurrection ;  for  he  gives 
the  several  situations  of  every  part  of  the  whole  family 
as  they  actually  were,  that  is,  in  body,  or  the  situation 
of  their  bodies  at  that  very  time  when  he  was  writing, 
"  every  creature,"  that  is,  in  person,  in  their  bodies,  as 
they  will  be  after  the  resurrection ;  not  all  mankind,  as 
some  vainly  suppose,  but  those  who  are  redeemed,  or 
who  may  hereafter  be  redeemed,  "  out  of  every  kindred, 
and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation."  See  our  text.  If 
it  had  been  "  all  nations,"  &c,  he  would  not  have  said, 
"  out  of,"  &c.  Therefore  we  must  take  the  whole  in 
connection.  But  John  saw  every  creature  whose  bodies 
then  were  some  of  them  in  heaven,  as  Enoch  and  Elijah  ; 
every  creature  who  was  then  alive  on  the  earth,  like  him- 
self and  brethren;  every  body  of  the  saints  that  had 
slept  and  been  buried  under  ground,  or  in  the  sea,  and 
all  the  saints  who  were  yet  in  the  loins  of.  their  fathers. 
In  one  word,  he  saw  the  whole  general  assembly,  and 
church  of  the  first  born,  whose  names  were  written  in 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life.  These  four  beasts  are  the  same 
living  creatures  which  Isaiah  saw  when  he  had  a  view 
of  the  glory  of  God.  lsa.  vi.-l — 3,  "In  the  year  that 
king  Uzziah  died,  I  saw  also  the  Lord  sitting  upon  a 
throne,  high  and  lifted  up,  and  his  train  filled  the  temple. 
Above  it  stood  the  seraphims  ;  each  one  had  six  wings: 
with   twain  he   covered   his   face,  and   with  twain  he 


Christ's  second  coming.  165 

covered  his  feet,  and  with  twain  he  did  fly.  And  one 
cried  unto  another,  and  said,  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord 
of  hosts ;  the  whole  earth  is  full  of  his  glory."  Ezekiel 
also  saw  the  same  living  creatures  that  Isaiah  calls  "se- 
raphims,"  and  John  "  four  beasts."  Ezekiel  calls  them 
"  cherubims."  See  Ezek.  i.  and  x.  chapters.  John  says, 
Rev.  iv.  8,  "  And  the  four  beasts  had  each  of  them  six 
wings  about  him,"  the  same  as  Isaiah's  "seraphims." 
These  wings  are  the  graces  of  the  Spirit,  as  is  strongly 
implied  by  Ezekiel  i.  12,  "  And  they  went  every  one 
straight  forward ;  whither  the  spirit  was  to  go,  they 
went ;  and  they  turned  not  when  they  went"  "  With 
two  they  covered  their  face  " — humility  and  repentance : 
"  with  two  they  covered  their  feet " — that  is,  they  walked 
by  two  of  the  graces,  faith  and  patience,  faith  in  God 
and  patient  in  tribulation ;  "  and  with  two  they  did  fly  " — 
hope  and  love.  They  "  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles ; 
they  shall  run  and  not  be  weary,  walk  and  not  faint," 
says  the  prophet  Isaiah,  xl.  31.  And  again  John  says, 
they  were  "  full  of  eyes  before  and  behind,  and  they 
were  full  of  eyes  within ; "  showing  that  they  would 
have  just  views  of  sin,  of  God,  and  his  word,  and  of 
themselves :  they  could  look  back  and  see  their  sins, 
and  the  pit  from  which  they  had  been  delivered,  and 
with  gratitude  remember  their  Redeemer.  They  could 
with  eyes  of  faith  look  forward  and  believe  in  the 
promises  of  God,  and  have  a  view  of  the  glory  that 
shall  be  revealed  at  his  second  coming.  With  eyes 
within,  they  could  look  into  their  own  hearts,  and  see  the 
remaining  corruption  and  hidden  depravity  that  lie 
lurking  in  every  corner  of  the  soul,  and  by  this  means 
put  off  the  old  man  with  his  deeds.  They  are  represent- 
ed by  John  as  being  praying  souls,  "  and  golden  vials 
full  of  odors,  which  are  the  prayers  of  saints."  Every 
one  had  these  vials,  says  John.  How  then,  I  ask,  can 
the  prayerless  man  or  woman  think  to  join  this  celestial 
throng  ?  "  Having  every  one  of  them  harps  ; "  showing 
that  all  of  them  would  have  new  hearts,  be  born  of  God; 
so  they  would  be  enabled  to  sing  in  the  New  Jerusalem 
state  the  new  song. 
These  are  the  characters  and  persons  which  John  saw 


166  LECTURE    XI. 

represented  by  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and  the  font 
beasts.     I  shall  now, 

II.  Show  what  we  may  understand  by  the  new  song1, 
and  the  occasion  of  it. 

The  prophet  John  had  been  led  by  the  angel  through 
seven  different  stages  of  the  church,  by  the  vision  of  the 
mystery  of  the  seven  stars  and  seven  golden  candlesticks, 
under  the  name  of  the  seven  churches  of  Asia,  which 
ought  to  be  understood  symbolically  down  to  the  time 
when  the  judge  stands  at  the  door  ready  to  enter  in  to 
the  supper  of  the  great  God,  when  all  wicked  flesh  will  be 
destroyed,  and  till  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb 
arrives,  when  all  the  righteous  will  be  raised,  enter  into 
the  glorified  state,  and  live  and  reign  with  him  on  earth. 
Then  it  is  perfectly  natural  that  after  we  had  read  the 
history  of  the  church  through  all  her  trials,  persecutions, 
and  imperfections,  we  should  be  led  to  see  her  deliver- 
ance on  the  other  side  of  the  banks  of  Jordan,  or  beyond 
the  power  of  death,  and  to  hear  a  part,  at  least,  of  that 
new  song  which  no  man  can  sing  unless  he  is  redeemed 
from  the  earth. 

In  the  second  and  third  chapters  of  Revelation,  we 
have  the  history  of  the  church,  as  I  have  endeavored  to 
show  in  my  lectures  on  the  churches.  In  the  fourth  and 
fifth  chapters  we  have  a  view  of  the  glorified  state,  and 
the  characters  given  of  those  who  will  enjoy  the  privilege 
of  that  state,  the  song  which  will  employ  the  golden  harps, 
and  the  place  where.  The  characters  I  have  already 
given.  The  song  is  represented  as  a  new  song.  It  is  new 
because  it  is  sung  only  in  that  state  Avhere  all  things  are 
made  new.  See  2  Pet.  iii.  13,  "  Nevertheless  we,  accord- 
ing to  his  promise,  look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth, 
wherein  dwelleth  righteousness."  Rev.  xxi.  5,  "  And  he 
that  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things 
new."  Now  John  saw,  in  Rev.  iv.  2,  the  same  throne, 
and  him  that  sat  upon  it,  and  in  the  verse  above  quoted 
he  speaks  as  though  he  had  mentioned  before  "  him  that 
sat  upon  the  throne."  And  as  he  has  not  mentioned  him 
in  this  language  in  any  other  place,  we  may  have  strong 
reason  to  believe  that  the  time  and  subject  matter  is  the 
same  in  the  4th  chapter  of  Revelation  as  in  the  21st 


Christ's  second  coming.  167 

chapter.  Again :  we  are  expressly  told  that  no  man 
could  learn  the  new  song,  but  those  who  are  redeemed 
from  the  earth,  Rev.  xiv.  3.  And  redemption  from  the 
earth  is  no  where  spoken  of  until  the  resurrection  of  the 
body.  Christ  says,  in  Luke  xxi.  27,  28,  "  And  then  shall 
they  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  power 
and  great  glory.  And  when  these  things  begin  to  come 
to  pass,  then  look  up,  and  lift  up  your  heads,  for  your 
redemption  draweth  nigh."  And  Paul  says,  Rom.  vih. 
23,  "  Even  we  ourselves  groan  within  ourselves,  waiting 
for  the  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption  of  our  bodies." 
In  this  state  they  can  sing,  "  For  thou  wast  slain,  and 
hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every 
kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation."  It  is  also 
a  holy  song  ;  for  they  cry,  "  and  rest  not  day  and  night, 
saying,  Holy,  holy,  holy  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was, 
and  is,  and  is  to  come."  The  church  in  this  state  are 
not  all  holy  ;  they  have  but  a  faint  view  of  the  holiness 
of- God's  character,  his  law  or  government;  neither  could 
they  endure  the  sight ;  for  when  God  has  seen  fit  to  re- 
veal a  small  part  of  his  holiness,  men  have  fainted  under 
it.  Isaiah  cried  out,  "  Woe  is  me."  Ezekiel  fell  upon 
his  face,  Ezek.  i.  28.  Daniel's  comeliness  was  turned 
into  corruption,  so  that  he  retained  no  strength,  Dan. 
x.  8.  Therefore  it  is  evident  that  this  holy  song  can 
only  be  sung  in  a  state  of  immortality,  when  we  shall 
be  holy,  even  as  God  is  holy.  This  new  and  holy  song 
will  not  cease,  for  they  rest  not  day  and  night,  which 
proves  it  to  be  in  the  eternal  state.  And  the  dress  and 
crowns  of  the  elders,  "  clothed  in  white  raiment,"  and 
ttiay  had  on  their  heads  "  crowns  of  gold,"  and  they 
"cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  saying,  Thou  art 
worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honor,  and  power"  — 
all  proves  that  the  new  song  is  sung  after  the  second 
coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  for  Paul  tells  us,  that 
a  crown  is  laid  up  for  him  which  the  righteous  Judge 
shall  give  him  at  that  day ;  and  not  only  him,  but  to  all 
them  also  that  love  his  appearing.  So  neither  the  elders 
nor  the  beasts  can  sing  this  new  song  until  the  New 
Jerusalem  is  formed,  their  bodies  redeemed  from  the 
earth,  and  they  brought  into  the  eternal  state  of  the 


168  LECTURE    XI. 

righteous.  It  will  not  be  sung  until  the  last  child  is 
born  into  the  kingdom  —  the  last  enemy  conquered  — 
the  elect  gathered  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  and 
the  cap  stone  brought  forth,  when  the  heavens  will 
ring  with  this  general  chorus.  "  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the 
Lord  God  Almighty  :  blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 
power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and 
unto  the  Lamb  forever  and  ever  ;  and  the  four  beasts  will 
say,  Amen." 

III.  I  shall  now  show  the  reign  spoken  of  in  our  text, 
and  the  place  where. 

There  is  much  speculation  at  the  present  day  on  the 
reign  of  Christ  on  the  earth,  which  is  promised  in  his 
word,  and  in  the  text  Some  have  supposed  that  it 
would  be  purely  spiritual,  by  the  Holy  Spirit's  influence, 
when  all,  or  a  large  share  of  mankind  who  then  should 
fee  on  the  earth,  would  be  regenerated  and  become  the 
subjects  of  his  spiritual  kingdom  ;  that  there  would  be 
no  tempting  devil  to  deceive,  nor  any  kingdoms  on  the 
earth,  but  what  would  be  subject  to  Christ's  spiritual 
reign,  and  the  church  would  enjoy  a  long  Sabbath  of 
rest;  and  the  long-desired  period  of  some  who  profess 
to  be  the  servants  of  Christ  would  come  ;  when  church 
and  state  would  be  united,  and  war  would  cease  to  the 
end  of  the  world,  and  the  world  would  increase  in  riches, 
arts,  and  science  to  an  amazing  degree,  beyond  any  thing 
we  have  yet  conceived  *,  thousands  would  inhabit  the 
earth  where  there  are  but  tens  now,  and  man  would  live 
to  a  good  old  age,  and  nations  be  born  in  a  day.  This 
theory  is  the  most  rational  one  I  have  been  able  to  dis- 
cover, aside  from  the  glorious  reign  of  Christ  with  his 
people  in  a  state  of  immortality. 

To  the  above  theory  I  have  many  scriptural  objections. 
Although  the  advocates  of  this  theory  call  it  spiritual, 
yet  a  large  share,  if  not  all,  are  temporal  blessings  of 
this  kingdom,  and  are  exactly  the  same  that  the  Jews 
believed  they  should  possess  at  Christ's  first  coming. 
Again :  they  must  suppose,  if  this  be  true,  that  the 
rulers  of  the  world  must  all  be  Christians,  or  professedly 
so.  Then  what  must  we  say  to  Christ's  words,  «  My 
kingdom   is   not  of  this  world "  ?  and  again,  "  In   the 


CHRIST'S    SECOND    COMING.  lOb? 

world  ye  shall  have  tribulation  "  ?  The  world  hate  you7 
and  if  ye  live  godly,  ye  shall  suffer  persecution,  and 
these  (meaning  the  whole  family  of  the  redeemed)  have 
come  out  of  much  tribulation.  How  could  those  millions 
who  are  born  or  live  in  this  happy  period,  come  out  of 
great  tribulation  ?  But  where  do  the  advocates  of  the 
above  system  prove  their  doctrine  ?  Some  pretend  to 
bring  the  same  passages  in  the  Old  Testament  that  the 
Jews  did,  to  prove  their  temporal  kingdom  over  the 
Gentiles,  and  do  not  see  that  much  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophecy  was,  and  has  been  fulfilled  in  its  typical 
sense.  And  it  is  very  easy  to  show  that  the  passages 
they  pretend  to  bring  in  the  Old  Testament  were  all 
fulfilled  1800  years  ago. 

But,  if  they  had  believed  in  this  theory,  would  not 
some  of  the  New  Testament  writers  have  mentioned  this 
important  period  ?  I  remember,  when  I  was  but  a  child, 
of  hearing  an  old  minister  of  the  gospel  make  a  remark 
like  this:  —  "All  the  Old  Testament  prophecies,"  said 
he,  "  which  were  not  fulfilled  when  Christ  came  in  the 
flesh,  are  carried  into  the  New  Testament,  and  further 
explained."  1  then  thought  there  was  reason  and  pro- 
priety in  the  remark;  I  think  so  still,  for  the  two  wit- 
nesses must  and  will  agree.  And  where  do  the  believ- 
ers in  this  system  bring  us  one  word  from  Christ  ?  Not 
one.  But  we  can  show  much  to  the  contrary.  The 
parable  of  the  tares  and  the  wheat  carries  us  to  the  end 
of  the  world;  and  he  expressly  says,  "Let  them  grow 
together  until  the  harvest."  His  prophecy  and  parables 
in  Matt.  xxiv.  and  xxv.  give  us  a  prophecy  until  his 
second  coming,  and  not  a  word  about  a  happy  period 
previously,  but  much  about  lo  heres,  and  lo  theres,  and 
wicked  servants  beating  and  bruising  their  fellow-ser- 
vants, and  eating  and  drinking  with  the  drunken,  saying 
in  their  hearts,  My  Lord  delayeth  his  coming.  Can  this 
be  a  millennium?  No.  Too  much  devil  in  such  con- 
duct as  this.  Where  does  Paul,  a  very  prominent  writer, 
give  us  a  hint  of  these  important  things  ?  He  must  have 
understood  the  Old  Testament  as  well  as  some,  if  not 
all,  of  our  modern  divines.  But  he,  too,  has  given  the 
reverse.  In  his  epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,  he  tells  us 
15 


170  LECTURE    XI. 

plainly,  "  Then  shall  that  wicked  be  revealed,  whom  the 
Lord  shall  consume  with  the  spirit  of  his  mouth,  and  de- 
stroy by  the  brightness  of  his  coming,"  2  Thess.  ii.  In 
his  2  Thess.  i.,  he  tells  them  of  the  necessity  of  patience 
and  faith  in  all  their  persecutions  and  tribulations ;  which, 
he  says,  is  a  manifest  token  of  the  righteous  judgment 
of  God ;  and  then  goes  on  to  show  Christ's  coming,  and 
destruction  of  an  ungodly  world ;  nothing  that  looks  like 
a  millennium  in  this,  or  any  part  of  Paul's  writings,  be- 
fore Christ's  -second  coming.  Where,  then,  shall  we 
find  it  in 'the  New  Testament?  Perhaps  they  may  say 
in  Rev.  xx. ;  but  this  chapter  can  never  be  given  to  them 
until  they  do  away  the  first  resurrection ;  for  all  in  that 
chapter  is  after  the  first  resurrection,  and,  of  course,  is 
after  the  personal  and  second  coming  of  the  Savior ;  and 
all  the  arguments  to  do  away  or  destroy  the  word  resur- 
rection are  so  futile  and  weak  that  it  needs  no  argument 
to  refute  them ;  for  what  could  do  it  in  that  place  might 
in  every  other  case,  and  we  should  be  Sadducees  at 
once.  James,  Peter,  and  Jude  mention  the  last  days  in 
their  epistles,  and  describe  them  as  being  very  wicked, 
yet  make  no  mention  of  a  day  of  the  spread  of  the  gos- 
pel in  this  wonderful  manner.  James  speaks  of  their 
heaping  up  treasures  for  the  last  days.  "  Behold,  the 
hire  of  the  laborers  who  have  reaped  down  your  fields, 
which  is  of  you  kept  back  by  fraud,  crieth  ;  and  the  cries 
of  them  which  have  reaped  are  entered,  into  the  ears  of 
the  Lord  of  Sabaoth.  Ye  have  lived  in  pleasure  on  the 
earth,  and  been  wanton:  ye  have  nourished  your  hearts 
as  in  a  day  of  slaughter.  Ye  have  condemned  and  killed 
the  just;  and  he  doth  not  resist  you.  Be  patient,  there- 
fore, brethren,  unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord  draweth  nigh."  Can  this  be  the  millen- 
nium ?  No !  unless  proud,  earthly  pleasure,  wantonness, 
and  murder,  are  the  spirit  of  their  millennium.  Yet,  if 
it  is  temporal,  this  would  be  the  most  likely  fruits,  if  we 
judge  of  the  future  by  the  past;  for  the  greater  the  tem- 
poral blessings,  the  greater  is  man's  rebellion.  Read 
the  second  and  third  chapters  of  2  Peter,  where  he  ex- 
pressly speaks  of  the  last  days.  "  Knowing  this  first, 
that  there  shall  come,  in  the  last  days,  scoffers,  walking 


Christ's  second  coming.  171 

after  their  own  lusts,  and  saying,  Where  is  the  promise 
of  his  coming?"  &c,  agreeing  with  what  Christ  said  the 
wicked  ministers  would  be  doing  when  he  comes.  They 
would  say  in  their  hearts,  My  Lord  delayeth  his  coming. 
Can  there  be  this  happy  time  described  in  the  above 
theory  ?  All  must  answer,  No.  Then  let  this  suffice  els 
answer  to  the  above  theory,  until  our  opponents  prove 
their  own  sentiments  by  the  word.  There  are  many 
more  branches  of  the  above  system,  but  none  that  I  have 
seen  but  are  liable  to  the  same  objections. 

I  shall  now  undertake  to  prove  that  this  reign  is  in  the 
immortal  state,  after  the  resurrection ;  that  Christ  will 
be  present  with  his  people,  and,  of  course,  personally, 
and  that  it  will  be  on  the  earth. 

I.  .Then  I  am  to  prove  that  it  will  be  immortal  after 
the  resurrection. 

The  present  reign  is  called,  in  Scripture,  a  reign  of 
grace ;  "  So  might  grace  reign  through  righteousness 
unto  eternal  life,  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  This  reign 
has  been  ever  since  Christ  was  in  the  world,  for  1800 
years  past.  We  shall  now  show  that  this  reign  must 
continue  until  after  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  See 
1  Cor.  xv.  23 — 26;  "But  every  man  in  his  own  order; 
Christ  the  first  fruits,  (resurrection ;)  afterwards  they  that 
are  Christ's  at  his  coming.  Then  cometh  the  end,  when 
he  shall  have  given  up  the  kingdom  to  God,  even  the 
Father ;  when  he  shall  put  down  all  rule,  and  all  author- 
ity and  power.  For  he  must  reign  till  he  hath  put  all 
enemies  under  his  feet  The  last  enemy  that  shall  be 
destroyed  is  death."  Here  we  have  plain  Scripture  that 
the  same  reign  of  grace  must  continue  unto  eternal  life ; 
and.  in  the  other  text,  until  the  resurrection  of  them  that 
are  Christ's,  and  death,  the  last  enemy  to  the  church,  is 
destroyed.  Where,  then,  shall  we  get  in  a  spiritual  or 
temporal  reign  ?  We  see  evidently  there  is  no  change 
of  the  reign  of  Christ  in  the  gospel  or  grace,  from  the 
apostles'  days  until  the  time  comes  when  the  saints  shall 
possess  the  kingdom  in  the  immortal  state.  Paul  says, 
Rom.  v.  17,  "  For  if  by  one  man's  offence  death  reigned 
by  one,  much  more  they  which  receive  abundance  of 


172  LECTURE    XI. 

grace  and  of  the  gift  of  righteousness,  shall  reign  in  life 
by  one,  Jesus  Christ"  Here  the  saints  are  promised  to 
reign  after  the  gift  of  righteousness,  (which  the  righteous 
Judge  shall  give  all  those  who  love  his  appearing  at  that 
day,)  in  life,  that  is,  eternal  life.  See  21st  v&rse.  1  Pe- 
ter v.  4,  "  And  when  the  chief  Shepherd  shall  appear, 
ye  shall  receive  a  crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not  away." 
This  must,  of  course,  be  in  the  immortal  state,  for  it 
fadeth  not  away. 

II.  That  Christ  will  be  present  with  his  people  in  a 
state  of  immortality,  can  hardly  be  doubted  v/hen  we 
read  such  texts  as  these :  —  John  xii.  24,  "  If  any  man 
serve  me,  let  him  follow  me ;  and  where  I  am,  there  also 
shall  my  servant  be."  Again,  John  xiv.  3,  "  And  if  I 
go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  will  come  again  and 
receive  you  to  myself;  that  whe&e  I  am  there  ye  may  be 
also."  So  much  for  Christ's  promise  to  his  disciples. 
And  now  let  us  read  his  prayer  to  his  Father  on  this 
point,  John  xvii,  24,  "Father,  I  will  that  they,  also, 
whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where  I  am,  that 
they  may  behold  my  glory."  Paul  says,  1  Thess.  iv.  17, 
"And  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord."  "  For  it  doth 
not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be ;  but  we  know  that 
when  he  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  him;  for  we  shall 
see  him  as  he  is."  Our  text  says,  "  And  hast  made  us 
unto  our  God  kings  and  priests."  Rev.  xx.  4,  6,  "And 
they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ"  "  And  shall  reign 
with  him."  xxi.  3,  "And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of 
heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with 
men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his 
people,  and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be 
their  God." 

III.  "  And  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth,"  says  our  text 
Not  under  its  present  dispensation,  but  after  it  is  cleansed 
by  fire;  after  the  wicked  are  destroyed  by  fire,  as  the 
antediluvians  were  by  water,  after  the  resurrection  of  the 
saints,  and  when  Christ's  prayer,  taught  to  his  disciples, 
shall  be  answered,  "  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth,  even  as  in 
heaven"  When  the  bride  has  made  herself  ready,  and 
married  to  the  bridegroom,  he  will  then  move  her  into 


Christ's  second  coming.  173 

thw  New  Jerusalem  state,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned 
for  her  husband,  where  we  shall  reign  with  him  forever 
and  ever  on  the  new  earth  and  in  the  new  heavens; 
"and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes, 
and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow  nor 
crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain ;  for  the 
former  things  are  passed  away.  Then  the  whole 
earth  "  shall  be  full  of  his  glory ;"  and  then,  as  says  the 
prophet  Isaiah,  liv.  5,  "For  thy  Maker  is  thine  husband  ; 
the  Lord  of  Hosts  is  his  name ;  and  thy  Redeemer,  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel ;  the  God  of  the  whole  earth  shall 
he  be  called." 

And  then,  my  dear  hearer,  if  you  have  had  your  heart 
broken  off  from  sin;  if  you  have  by  faith  been  united  in 
spirit  to  the  Lamb  of  God;  if  you  have  patiently  endured 
tribulation  and  persecution  for  his  name, — then  you  will 
live  and  reign  with  him  on  the  earth,  and  this  earth  will 
be  regenerated  by  fire  and  the  power  of  God,  the  cursed 
destroyed,  sin,  pain,  crying,  sorrow,  and  death  banished 
from  the  world,  and  mortality  clothed  upon  by  immor- 
tality, death  swallowed  up  in  victory.  You  will  rise  up 
in  that  general  assembly,  and  clapping  your  hands  with 
joy,  cry,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  God  Almighty, 
which  was,  and  is,  and  is  now  come."  Then  you  will  be 
in  a  situation  to  join  the  grand  chorus,  and  sing  the  new 
song,  saying,  "  Thou  art  worthy,  for  thou  wast  slain,  and 
hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every 
kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation,  and  hast 
made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests,  and  we  shall 
reign  on  the  earth,  saying,  with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is 
the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches, 
and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 
blessing."  And  all  who  meet  in  that  grand  assembly 
will  be  then  heard  to  shout,  "  Blessing,  and  honor,  and 
glory,  and  power  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  Lamb  forever  and  ever."  And  methinks  I 
can  now  see  every  one  who  loves  out  Lord  and  Savior 
Jesus  Christ  in  this  assembly,  rising  upon  their  feet,  and 
in  one  united  prayer  of  faith,  crying,  "  Come,  Lord  Jesus, 
O  come  quickly." 
15* 


174  LECTURE    XI. 

But  you,  O  impenitent  man  or  woman,  where  will 
you  be  then?  When  heaven  shall  resound  with  the 
mighty  song,  and  distant  realms  shall  echo  back  the 
sound,  where,  tell  me,  where  will  you  be  then  ?     In  hell ! 

0  think!  In  hell !  a  dreadful  word!  Once  more  think! 
In  hell !  lifting  up  your  eyes,  being  in  torment.  Stop, 
sinner;  think!  In  hell  /where  shall  be  weeping,  wail- 
ing, and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Stop,  sinner,  stop ;  consider 
on  your  latter  end.  In  Mil!  "where  the  beast  and 
false  prophet  are,  and  shall  be  tormented  day  and  night 
forever  and  ever."     I  entreat  of  you  to  think  —  in  hell ! 

1  know  you  hate  to  hear  the  word.  It  sounds  too  harsh. 
There  is  no  music  in  it  You  say  it  grates  upon  the 
ear.  But  think,  when  it  grates  upon  the  soul,  the  con- 
science, and  the  ear,  and  not  by  sound  only,  but  a  dread 
reality,  when  there  can  be  no  respite,  no  cessation,  no 
deliverance,  no  hope !  You  will  then  think,  yes,  of  this 
warning,  of  a  thousand  others,  perhaps  of  this  hour,  with 
many  more  that  are  lost ;  yes,  worse  than  lost,  that 
have  been  squandered  in  earthly,  vain,  and  transitory 
mirth,  have  been  abused ;  for  there  have  been  many  hours 
the  Spirit  strove  with  you,  and  you  prayed  to  be  excused. 
There  was  an  hour  when  conscience  spake  ;  but  you 
stopped  your  ears  and  would  not  hear.  There  was  a 
time  when  judgment  and  reason  whispered ;  but  you  soon 
drowned  their  cry  by  calling  in  some  aid  against  your 
own  soul.  To  judgment  and  reason  you  have  opposed 
will  and  wit,  and  said, "  in  hell"  was  only  in  the  grave.  In 
this  vain  citadel,  on  this  frail  house  of  sand,  you  will 
build,  until  the  last  seal  is  broken,  the  last  trump  will 
sound,  the  last  woe  be  pronounced,  and  the  last  vial  be 
poured  upon  the  earth.  Then,  impenitent  man  or  woman, 
you  will  awake  in  everlasting  woe ! 

Be  warned  ;  repent ;  fly,  fly  for  succor  to  the  ark  of 
God,  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lamb  that  once  was  slain,  that 
you  might  live,  for  he  is  worthy  to  receive  all  honor, 
power,  and  glory.  Believe,  and  you  shall  live.  Obey 
his  word,  his  spirit,  his  calls,  his  invitations  ;  there  is  no 
time  for  delay  ;  put  it  not  off,  I  beg  of  you  ;  no,  not  for  a 
moment    Do  you  want  to  join  that  heavenly  choir  and 


Christ's  second  coming.  175 

sing  the  new  song  ?  Then  come  in  God's  appointed 
way;  repent  Do  you  want  a  house  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens  ?  Then  join  in  heart  and 
soul  this  happy  people,  whose  God  is  the  Lord.  Do  you 
want  an  interest  in  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  beloved 
city  ?  Then  set  your  face  as  a  flint  Zion-ward  ;  become 
a  pilgrim  in  the  good  old  way.  "  Seek  first  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,"  says  Christ,  "  and  then  all  these  things  shall 
be  added  unto  you." 


LECTURE    XII 


REV.  v.  5. 

And  one  of  the  elders  saith  unto  me,  Weep  not :  behold,  the  Lion  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  root  of  David,  hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book 
and  to  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof. 


The  book  of  Revelation  has  been  called  by  tnousands 
a  sealed  book ;  and  many  a  dear  saint,  while  in  this  im- 
perfect state  of  vision  and  knowledge,  has  wept  much, 
because  they  could  not  read  and  understand  the  book. 
For  it  is  very  evident  that  the  book  of  Revelation  is  not 
only  interesting  in  its  symbolical  and  mystical  descrip- 
tions, natural  scenery,  and  figurative  language,  but  it  is 
rich  in  truth,  and  the  communication  of  events  then  hid 
under  the  veil  of  futurity,  and  would  only  be  unfolded 
to  the  natural  visions  of  men,  many  ages  to  come.  John 
has  written  this  book  after  the  laws  of  nature ;  that  is, 
he  has  seemed  to  copy  after  some  of  the  richest  and 
most  picturesque  scenes  in  nature's  laws.  He  has,  in 
revealing  truths  to  our  minds,  followed  the  same  steady 
course  that  fountains  of  water  do  in  their  course  to  the 
sea.  He  begins  as  it  were  back  upon  the  mountains, 
where  the  head  may  be  but  a  fountain,  and  there  gives 
us  a  description  of  the  source.  He  then  glides  gently 
along  through  the  vale  below,  winding  between  hills  and 
mountains,  visiting  in  his  course  the  hamlets  of  the 
peasant,  the  villages  of  men,  the  populous  towns  and 
cities  of  commerce,  until  he  lands  us  or  leaves  us  in  the 
ocean  of  eternity.  At  first,  he  appears  to  be  describing 
-  bubbling  fountain  or  gentle  spring,  and  swelling 


Christ's  second  coming.  177 

in  importance  as  he  proceeds,  brings  in  and  adds  every 
important  stream  of  event,  deepens  and  widens  in  hig 
course,  until  he  makes  his  prophetic  history  like  a  deep- 
flowing  river,  bearing  upon  its  bosom  the  gallant  ships 
and  galley  with  oars.  At  first,  he  describes  a  pebbly 
brook  murmuring  along  the  hills,  now  and  then  bursting 
into  view  with  some  gentle  fall,  then  gliding  softly 
away,  until  it  meets  some  rugged  head-land,  shifts  its 
course,  and  almost  seems  to  retrace  its  path ;  then,  sud- 
denly bursting  from  the  hills  in  cataracts  of  foam,  bound- 
ing from  rock  to  rock,  leaping  into  the  vale  below,  he 
again  seems  to  follow  the  alluvial  flats  and  receives  his 
tributary  streams,  winds  on  his  way,  until  it  falls  at  its 
mouth  by  a  tremendous  leap  into  a  gulf  of  waters,  and 
is  swallowed  up  in  the  waves  of  the  sea. 

Four  times  the  Revelation  seems  to  bring  us  down  in 
this  manner,  as  though  he  had  begun  on  one  mountain, 
and  traced  four  different  streams  of  history  down  to  the 
great  ocean  of  eternity  ;  like  the  river  of  Eden,  which 
watered  the  garden,  becoming  four  heads  of  four  great 
rivers,  which  watered  and  encompassed  the  whole  land, 
taking  different  points  of  the  compass,  but  falling  at  last 
into  the  ocean,  Gen.  ii.  10 — 14 ;  and  all  these  having 
seven  tributary  streams  in  their  course.  The  seven 
churches  of  Asia  is  a  history  of  the  church  of  Christ  in 
her  seven  forms,  in  all  her  windings  and  turnings,  in  all 
her  prosperity  and  adversity,  from  the  days  of  the  apos 
ties  down  to  the  end  of  the  world.  The  seven  seals  are 
a  history  of  the  transactions  of  the  powers  and  kings  of 
the  earth  over  the  church,  and  God's  protection  of  his 
people  during  the  same  time.  The  seven  trumpets  are 
a  history  of  seven  peculiar  and  heavy  judgments  sent 
upon  the  earth,  or  Roman  kingdom.  And  the  seven 
vials  are  the  seven  last  plagues  sent  upon  Papal  Rome. 
Mixed  with  these  are  many  other  events,  woven  in  like 
tributary  streams,  and  filling  up  the  grand  river  of  proph- 
ecy, until  the  whole  ends  us  in  the  ocean  of  eternity. 

This,  to  me,  is  the  plan  of  John's  prophecy  in  the  book 
of  Revelation.  And  the  man  who  wishes  to  understand 
this  book,  must  have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  other  parts 
of  the  word  of  God.    The  figures  and  metaphors  used 


178  IiECTURE   XII. 

in  this  prophecy,  are  not  all  explained  in  the  same,  but 
must  be  found  in  other  prophets,  and  explained  in  other 
passages  of  Scripture.  Therefore  it  is  evident  that  God 
has  designed  the  study  of  the  whole,  even  to  obtain  a 
clear  knowledge  of  any  part.  I  shall  then  pursue  the 
following  method :  — 

I.  Explain  the  book  which  was  in  the  right  hand  of 
him  who  sat  on  the  throne. 

II.  Give  the  history  of  the  seven  seals,  and  their 
opening. 

I.   I  am  to  explain  what  is  meant  by  the  book. 

The  book  is  often  spoken  of  in  the  word  of  God. 
Sometimes  we  hear  it  spoken  of  as  a  little  book,  open, 
in  the  hands  of  the  angel ;  and  sometimes  it  is  command- 
ed to  be  sealed  up  ;  and  sometimes  to  be  unloosed,  as  in 
our  text.  The  question  arises,  What  can  this  book  mean  ? 
It  cannot  mean  the  book  of  Revelation,  for  John  was 
commanded  not  to  se|l  the  sayings  of  this  book,  Rev. 
xxii.  10.  Neither  could  it  be  the  prophecies,  for  they 
we*re  commanded  to  be  read  every  Sabbath  day  by  the 
Jews,  and  were  so  read.  Yet  John  tells  us,  in  our  con- 
text, "  That  no  man,  neither  in  heaven,  nor  in  earth,  nor 
under  the  earth,  was  able  to  open  the  book,  neither  to 
look  thereon ;  and  I  wept  much,  because  no  man  was 
found  worthy  to  open  and  to  read  the  book,  neither  to 
look  thereon."  We  see,  plainly,  that  it  could  not  apply 
to  the  law,  nor  the  prophets,  to  the  Old  or  New  Testa- 
ments, for  these  were  committed  to  the  Jews,  and  also 
unto  us  Gentiles,  and  were  to  be  read  by  all  men ;  but 
this  book  they  could  not  open,  read,  nor  look  thereon. 
There  is  one  more  book  which  answers  to  John's  de- 
scription, which  no  man,  neither  in  heaven,  nor  on  earth, 
nor  under  the  earth,  has  yet  been  able  to  look  thereon, 
or  open  and  read,  as  we  have  any  account  of ;  and  which, 
according  to  the  whole  tenor  of  the  Scripture,  will  never 
be  opened,  read,  or  looked  upon,  until  the  last  seal  is 
broken,  and  the  judgment  sits.  "  And  I  saw  the  dead, 
small  and  great,  stand  before  God ;  and  the  books  were 
opened  ;  and  another  book  was  opened,  ivhich  is  the  book 
of  life  ;  and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those  things 
which  were  written  in  the  books."     In  this  book,  which 


Christ's  second  coming.  179 

is  called  the  hook  of  life,  the  names  of  all  the  redeerrfed 
in  heaven,  in  earth,  or  under  the  earth,  are  written, 
which  are  not  known  to  any  man,  neither  will  be  known, 
until  the  last  seal  is  broken  open  ;  for  the  judgment  will 
declare  who  is  on  the  Lord's  side.  For  the  apostle  tells 
us,  plainly,  "  Our  lives  are  hid  with  Christ  in  God ;  that, 
when  he  appears,  then  we  shall  appear  with  him  in  glo- 
ry." And  John  tells  us,  Rev.  xxi.  26,  27,  "  And  they 
shall  bring  the  glory  and  honor  of  the  nations  into  it, 
and  there  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  it  any  thing  that 
defileth,  neither  whatsoever  worketh  abomination,  or 
maketh  a  lie  ;  hut  they  which  are  written  in  the  Lamb's 
hook  of  life."  "  And  whosoever  was  not  found  written 
in  the  book  of  life,  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire."  Again  : 
"  And  they  whose  names  were  not  written  in  the  book 
of  life,  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  shall  wonder," 
&c.  This  book,  although  we  are  abundantly  informed 
there  is  one,  in  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sitteth  upon 
the  throne,  no  man,  as  we  are  any  where  informed,  has 
been  able  to  look  upon  it,  or  open  it,  or  to  read  its  con- 
tents. This,  then,  is  the  book,  on  account  of  which 
John  wept  to  know  its  contents.  And  so  it  has  been 
with  all  Christians.  They  are  anxious  to  know  whether 
their  names  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life.  But 
you  must  first  learn,  my  dear  brother  in  Christ,  to  live  by 
faith  ;  and  faith,  too,  founded  on  the  book  in  which  you  can 
look  —  of  which  you  may  read  the  promises,  the  proph- 
ecies, and  commands.  But  into  the  book  of  life  you  can 
never  look,  until  the  Lamb  of  God  shall  open  the  seventh 
seal,  and  the  righteous  dead  be  raised,  to  meet  with  the 
dear  Savior  in  that  world  of  glory,  when  the  book  will 
be  opened  in  the  presence  of  the  universe,  and  he  will 
own  you  as  his,  and  crown  you  with  joy  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory. 

II.  I  shall  now  give  the  history  of  the  seven  seals, 
with  the  time  of  their  opening.  After  the  prophecy  of 
the  seven  churches,  in  the  2d  and  3d  chapters  of  Reve- 
lation, John  has  a  view  of  the  heavenly  host,  singing  the 
grand  song,  and  gives  us  a  description  of  the  heavenly 
choir,  and  a  part  of  the  song.  He  likewise  introduces 
the  book,  sealed  with  seven  seals,  and  shows  who  can 


180  LECTURE    XII. 

open  the  book,  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  chapters.     These 
we  have  attended  to,  in  a  former  lecture. 

We  shall  now  begin  with  the  sixth  chapter,  1st  verse, 
"  And  I  saw  when  the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the  seals ; 
and  I  heard,  as  it  were  the  noise  of  thunder,  one  of  the 
four  beasts,  saying,  Come  and  see.  And  I  saw,  and  be- 
hold, a  white  horse,  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  bow ; 
and  a  crown  was  given  unto  him ;  and  he  went  forth 
conquering  and  to  conquer."  The  "  beast,"  in  this  pas- 
sage, is  the  first,  which  was  like  a  lion,  representing  the 
church  in  its  first  state,  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  when 
the  church  went  every  where,  preaching  the  word,  bold  as 
a  lion.  The  white  horse,  and  him  that  sat  upon  him,  rep- 
resent Jesus  Christ  going  forth  in  the  power  of  the  gos- 
pel. This  is  proved  by  the  passage,  Rev.  xix.  11 — 13, 
"  And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  behold,  a  white  horse  ; 
and  he  that  sat  upon  him  was  called  Paithful  and  True, 
and  in  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make  war.  His 
eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his  head  were  many 
crowns  ;  and  he  had  a  name  written  that  no  man  knew 
but  he  himself,  and  he  was  clothed  in  a  vesture  dipped 
in  blood ;  and  his  name  is  called  The  Word  of  God." 
This  is  the  same  personage  as  the  other,  and  both  places 
represent  the  same  thing,  only  the  first  description  is  rep- 
resenting the  spread  of  the  gospel  in  the  beginning  of 
the  gospel  day,  the  other  at  the  end  of  the  gospel  period, 
under  which  we  are  now  living.  Therefore  the  first  seal 
opens  with  the  promulgation  of  the  gospel,  as  the  last 
will  be  closed  by  the  same.  3d  and  4th  verses,  "  And 
when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  I  heard  the  second 
beast  say,  Come  and  see.  And  there  went  out  another 
horse,  that  was  red  ;  and  power  was  given  to  him  that 
sat  thereon  to  take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  that  they 
should  kill  one  another ;  and  there  was  given  unto  him  a 
great  sword."  The  red  horse  denotes  blood  and  carnage, 
and  has  reference  to  the  times  of  persecution  in  the  days 
of  Nero  and  other  Roman  emperors,  and  answers  to  the 
same  time  as  the  Smyrna  church.  "  Given  unto  him  a 
great  sword,"  shows  that  the  power  would  have  great  au- 
thority. The  second  beast  spoken  of  in  this  passage  is 
the  representation  of  the  church,  which  was  like  a  calf? 


Christ's  seco±nd  coming.  181 

showing  that  the  church  would  be  given  to  the  slaughter, 
like  a  calf  fatted  for  the  market,  during  the  period  of  the 
opening  of  this  seal,  which  period  lasted  until  about  A. 
D.  318,  when  Constantine  put  a  period  to  the  persecu- 
tions of  the  Christians. 

5th  and  6th  verses,  "  And  when  he  had  opened  the 
third  seal,  1  heard  the  third  beast  say,  Come  and  see. 
And  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  black  horse  ;  and  he  that  sat 
upon  him  had  a  pair  of  balances  in  his  hand.  And  I 
heard  a  voice  in  the  midst  of  the  four  beasts  say,  A 
measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three  measures  of 
barley  for  a  penny,  and  see  thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and  the 
wine."  The  third  beast,  which  represents  the  church, 
under  this  seal,  had  a  face  as  a  man,  and  shows  that  the 
church  would  be  like  a  natural  man,  proud,  haughty, 
independent,  selfish,  ambitious,  covetous,  and  worldly. 
This  seal  was  opened  in  the  days  of  Constantine,  when 
religion  became  popular,  and  was  a  stepping-stone  to 
power ;  and  this  seal  agrees  with  the  Pergamos  church, 
as  to  time  and  place.  The  black  horse  denotes  error 
and  darkness ;  and  when  the  church  became  connected 
with  worldly  power  and  wisdom,  she  lost  her  purity  of 
doctrine  and  practice,  and  adopted,  in  her  creed,  maxims 
and  principles  congenial  with  the  natural  heart,  and 
forms  and  ceremonies  for  show  and  parade,  rather  than 
the  humbling  and  cross-bearing  life  of  the  followers  of 
Jpsus.  The  balances  denoted  that  religion  and  civil 
power  would  be  united  in  the  person  who  would  ad- 
minister the  executive  power  in  the  government,  and 
that  he  would  claim  the  judicial  authority  both  in  church 
and  state.  This  was  true  among  the  Roman  emperors, 
from  the  days  of  Constantine  until  the  reign  of  Justin- 
ian, when  he  gave  the  same  judicial  power  to  the  bishop 
of  Rome.  The  measures  of  wheat  and  barley  for  a 
penny  denote  that  the  members  of  the  church  would 
be  eagerly  engaged  after  worldly  goods,  and  the  love  of 
money  would  be  the  prevailing  spirit  of  the  times,  for 
they  would  dispose  of  any  thing  for  money.  The  oil 
and  wine  denote  the  graces  of  the  Spirit,  faith  and  love, 
and  there  was  great  danger  of  hurting  these,  under  the 
influence  of  so  much  worldly  spirit  And  it  is  well  at- 
16 


182  LECTURE    XII. 

tested,  by  all  historians,  that  the  prosperity  of  the  church 
in  this  age  produced  the  corruptions  which  finally  ter- 
minated in  the  falling  away,  and  setting  up  the  anti- 
Christian  abominations. 

7th  and  8th  verses,  "  And  when  he  had  opened  the 
fourth  seal,  I  heard  the  fourth  beast  say,  Come  and  see. 
And  I  looked,  and  behold,  a  pale  horse,  and  his  name  that 
sat  on  him  was  Death,  and  hell  followed  with  him ;  and 
power  was  given  unto  them  over  the  fourth  part  of  the 
earth,  to  kill  with  sword,  and  with  hunger,  and  with 
death,  and  with  beasts  of  the  earth."  The  fourth  seal 
opened  in  the  year  A.  D.  538,  when  anti-Christ  first 
arose,  for  the  fourth  beast  was  like  a  flying  eagle.  "  And 
to  the  woman  was  given  two  wings  of  an  eagle,  that  she 
might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place,  where  she 
is  nourished  for  a  time,  times,  and  a  half,  from  the  face 
of  the  serpent."  The  pale  horse  is  named,  in  this  pas- 
sage, death.  And  hell  followed,  showing  us  plainly  that 
it  is  the  anti-Christian  power  which  would  have  the 
ascendency  over  one  fourth  part  of  the  earth,  during  the 
opening  of  this  seal.  "  Power  was  given  unto  them," 
shows  conclusively  that  it  is  the  same  power  mentioned 
in  Rev.  xiii.  2 — 5,  "  And  the  dragon  gave  him  his  power, 
and  his  seat,  and  great  authority."  "And  there  was 
given  him  a  mouth  speaking  great  things  and  blasphe- 
mies ;  and  power  was  given  unto  him  to  continue  forty 
and  two  months."  Again,  7th  verse,  "  And  it  was  given 
unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome 
them ;  and  power  was  given  him  over  all  kindreds,  and 
tongues,  and  nations."  Jn  our  text  he  says,  "  Power  was 
given  them  to  kill  with  the  sword,"  that  is,  to  make  war, 
which  was  fulfilled  in  Europe,  when  the  papal  power 
sent  out  large  armies  to  exterminate  the  heretics,  as 
they  were  called,  who  would  not  worship  the  beast  or 
his  image.  "  And  with  hunger  ; "  this  was  fulfilled  by 
the  same  power  imprisoning  and  starving  to  death  many 
thousands  of  persons  who  were  suspected  of  opposition 
to  her  ungodly  pretensions.  "And  with  death;"  in- 
venting the  most  cruel  and  bloody  means  of  torture  that 
were  ever  imposed  upon  our  world ;  to  inflict  death,  in 
every  possible  shape  that  men  or  devils  could  invent 


Christ's  second  coming.  183 

thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  suffered  death  under 
the  most  excruciating  torments  that  the  Inquisition  could 
devise.  "  And  with  the  beasts  of  the  earth ; "  after 
they  had  glutted  their  thirst  for  blood  in  every  possible 
shape  that  man  could  inflict,  thousands  were  thrown  to 
ferocious  beasts,  to  be  destroyed  by  them.  The  time 
and  place  of  the  opening  of  this  seal  we  cannot  be  mis- 
taken in.  It  must  have  been  during  the  bloody  and 
persecuting  reign  of  the  papal  church. 

9th — 11th  verses,  "And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth 
seal,  I  saw  under  the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were 
slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  which 
they  held  ;  and  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  How 
long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and 
avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  ?  And 
white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  them ;  and  it 
was  said  unto  them  that  they  should  rest  yet  for  a  little 
season,  until  their  fellow-servants  also,  and  their  breth- 
ren, that  should  be  killed  as  they  were,  should  be  fulfil- 
led." On  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal,  there  is  no  beast 
to  say,  "  Come  and  see,"  for  this  very  good  reason  —  the 
church  has  not  changed  her  position,  and  is  yet  in  the 
wilderness,  like  the  flying  eagle.  Therefore,  under  the 
fourth  beast,  the  church  is  likewise  under  the  control  of 
the  same  anti-Christian  power  as  under  the  fourth  seal, 
but  the  difference  appears  to  be  only  in  one  thing  —  the 
church  appears  to  enjoy  a  little  respite  from  her  persecu- 
ting enemy ;  and  it  would  seem  by  the  language  of  the 
souls  of  the  martyrs  that  they  are  now  looking  for  a  day 
of  vengeance,  which  God  hath  promised  upon  them  who 
worshipped  the  beast  or  his  image ;  and  the  inquiry  is, 
How  long  before  this  day  of  vengeance  will  come  ?  The 
answer  is  given  to  these  praying  souls  to  rest  a  little  sea- 
son, and  they  are  informed  there  must  be  one  more  day  or 
little  season  of  persecution,  when  their  brethren  must  be 
killed  in  like  manner  with  themselves  ;  and  when  that  is 
accomplished,  they  would  then  experience  the  last  prom- 
ise of  God,  the  resurrection.  This  seal  was  opened 
about  the  beginning  of  the  18th  century,  A.  D.  1700 
when  the  bloody  persecutions  against  Protestants  ceased, 
and  the  nations  of  the  world  began  to  enjoy  religious 
freedom. 


184  LECTURE    XII. 

12th — 17th  verses,  "  And  I  beheld  when  he  had  open 
ed  the  sixth  seal,  and  lo,  there  was  a  great  earthquake.' 
On  the  opening  of  this  seal  there  is  a  great  earthquake 
This  earthquake  is  spoken  of  in  other  places  in  this  book 
and  alludes  to  the  French  revolution ;  and  of  course  this 
seal  opened  about  A.  D.  1790.  "  And  the  sun  became 
black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the  moon  became  aa 
blood."  Sun  sometimes  denotes  rulers  or  kings,  as  in 
the  case  of  Joseph's  dream,  when  the  sun,  moon  and 
stars  made  obeisance  to  him,  meaning  his  father,  head 
over  all  Israel,  his  mother,  and  his  brethren ;  for  where 
the  king  is  called  the  sun,  the  queen  is  called  the  moon, 
and  inferior  rulers  are  called  stars,  as  Christ  is  called 
sun  of  righteousness,  because  he  is  king  of  Zion.  The 
church  is  called  the  moon,  because  she  is  the  bride  of 
Christ.  Ministers  are  called  stars  because  they  are  in- 
ferior rulers  in  Christ's  kingdom.  Therefore  I  under-^ 
stand  this  to  mean  in  that  revolution  when  the  king  lost 
his  authority,  and  tried  to  disguise  himself,  and  fled  from 
his  own  subjects,  afterwards  was  beheaded.  The  queen, 
too,  became  blood,  and  all  the  nobility  of  France  fell  to 
the  earth.  One  decree  levelled  all  titles  and  distinctions 
with  the  commonalty,  like  a  fig-tree  casting  her  untime- 
ly figs.  "  And  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth, 
even  as  a  fig-tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs  when  she  is 
shaken  of  a  mighty  wind.  And  the  heaven  departed  as 
a  scroll  when  it  is  rolled  together."  The  heavens  must 
mean  that  circle  in  which  the  planets  move ;  and  if  that 
is  to  be  understood  figuratively,  so  must  this.  Heavens 
must  then  mean  the  laws  and  government  of  France, 
These  were  all  swept  away,  or  rolled  up  and  laid  away 
like  an  old  parchment  out  of  date  or  use.  "  And  every 
mountain  and  island  were  moved  out  of  their  places.'- 
Mountains  and  islands  are  figures  of  large  and  small 
governments,  and  in  the  French  revolution  every  gov- 
ernment was  removed  from  their  legitimate  sovereigns, 
except  England,  in  the  old  Roman  empire,  and  given  to 
kings  of  Bonaparte's  creation.  And  certainly  all  the 
kingdoms  in  Europe  were  changed  from  what  they  were 
before ;  so  that  when  legitimacy  was  restored,  the  an- 
cient kings  could  not  and  have  not  found  their  kingdoms 


Christ's  second  coming.  185 

in  the  same  situation  they  were  in  before  the  revolution. 
"  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men,  and  the 
rich  men,  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty  men, 
and  every  bondman,  and  every  freeman,  hid  themselves 
in  the  dens,  and  in  the  rocks  of  the  mountains,  and  said 
to  the  rocks  and  mountains,  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from 
the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb." 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  to  all  who  are  conversant  with 
the  history  of  the  French  revolution,  that  almost  every 
king  in  Europe  had  to  flee  from  his  kingdom  during  the 
space  of  about  five  and  twenty  years :  the  king  of  Por- 
tugal to  Brazil ;  the  king  of  Spain  to  France;  the  king  of 
France  fled  to  England ;  the  Pope  died  in  exile  ;  the  king 
of  Sardinia  left  his  kingdom  and  fled  to  the  island  of  Sar- 
dinia ;  the  king  of  Naples  to  the  island  of  the  same  name ; 
the  king  of  Austria  left  his  capital ;  and  the  king  of  Prussia 
took  shelter  under  Russia  ;  the  emperor  of  all  the  Russias 
left  Moscow  to  its  fate  ;  and  Bonaparte  himself  fled  to  the 
island  of  Elba,  and  died  a  prisoner  on  St.  Helena.  The 
great  men  and  chief  captains,  and  all  orders  and  degrees 
of  men,  had  to  flee  from  the  land  of  their  fathers,  and  seek 
an  asylum  among  strangers.  So  true  was  this  passage  of 
Scripture  fulfilled  that  many  writers  and  divines  actually 
supposed  that  it  was  the  last  great  battle  and  supper  of 
the  great  God.  "For  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is 
come,  and  who  shall  be  able  to  stand  ?  "  The  sixth  seal 
is  not  yet  wholly  opened ;  for  it  is  evident  that  we  are 
carried  down  to  the  last  day,  the  great  day  of  wrath 
which  will  immediately  follow  the  sealing  time  which 
he  gives  us  in  the  next  chapter. 

Rev.  vii.  1,  "And  after  these  things  I  saw  four  angels 
standing  on  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  holding  the 
four  winds  of  the  earth,  that  it  should  not  blow  on  the 
earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor  on  any  tree."  Daniel  tells  us, 
vii.  2,  "I  saw  in  my  vision  by  night,  and  behold,  the  four 
winds  of  the  heaven  strove  upon  the  great  sea." .  The 
four  ivinds,  then,  means  the  opposing  elements,  war  and 
contention.  These  principal  elements  of  war  and  con- 
tention God  would  restrain  for  a  little  season,  so  they 
should  not  fan  up  the  spirit  of  war  and  strife,  neither  in 
the  Roman  government,  (called  earth,)  nor  on  the  great 
16* 


186  LECTURE     XII. 

nations,  (called  great  sea,)  nor  on  individuals  or  small 
societies  of  men,  (called  trees ;)  and  this  has  been  re- 
markably fulfilled  for  twenty  years  past  Not  a  particle 
of  opposition  has  been  experienced  against  the  transla- 
tion and  spread  of  the  Bible,  or  the  missionary  cause. 
Kings  have  been  nursing  fathers,  and  queens  nursing 
mothers,  to  help  forward  the  cause  of  God.  The  wind 
of  Papacy  has  been  kept  down  by  the  angel,  so  that  all 
the  opposition  they  could  raise  has  been  weak  and  in- 
efficient. The  Mahometan  wind  has  not  blown  a  blast 
for  twenty  years ;  the  idolatrous  and  pagan  nations  of 
the  East  have,  by  some  invisible  power,  been  kept  in 
check ;  the  infidel  and  deistical  principles  of  the  West 
have  been  held  in  complete  subjection  by  the  same 
invisible  hand,  until  the  servants  of  God  should  be 
sealed.  Therefore,  since  the  French  revolution,  none 
of  these  four  winds  of  opposition  to  Christ  have  been 
permitted  to  use  any  physical  force,  as  formerly,  to  sup- 
press the  spread  of  the  gospel  through  the  earth.  "And 
I  saw  another  angel  ascending  from  the  east,  having  the 
seal  of  the  living  God ;  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice 
to  the  four  angels  to  whom  it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth 
and  the  sea."  The  angel  here  spoken  of  as  ascending 
from  the  east,  is  the  angel  standing  on  the  land  and  on  the 
sea,  with  a  little  book  open,  and  the  same  that  is  represent- 
ed in  another  place  as  flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven 
having  the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  to  them  who  dwell 
on  the  earth.  Coming  from  the  east,  the  place  of  light,  and 
having  the  seal  of  the  living  God,  shows  plainly  that  it  is 
the  angel  of  the  gospel.  The  four  angels  are  the  four  mes- 
sengers of  God,  who  suppress  those  four  opposition  princi- 
ples, until  the  sealing  time  shall  be  over,  "  saying,  Hurt  not 
the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have 
sealed  the  servants  of  God  in  their  foreheads."  The 
four  angels  are  here  commanded  not  to  let  these  four 
winds  of  opposition  hurt  the  earth,  sea,  or  trees,  until 
the  sealing  time  is  past,  which  is  the  same  time  spoken 
of,  Daniel  xii.  1,  "Then  shall  Michael  stand  up,  the 
great  Prince  which  standeth  for  the  children  of  thy 
people."  "And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  which  were 
sealed ;  and  there  were  sealed  a  hundred  forty  and 
four  thousand  of  all  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel." 


Christ's  second  coming.  187 

John  first  gives  us  an  account  of  the  number  that  were 
sealed  in  his  day,  out  of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel.  They 
were  sealed,  as  he  tells  us  when  he  wrote,  it  being  fin- 
ished in  the  close  of  the  Jewish  dispensation.  It  being 
a  complete  number,  144,000,  and  therefore  could  be  num- 
bered ;  and  as  these  were  sealed  at  the  close  of  that 
dispensation,  so  John  now  saw  in  vision  a  great  number, 
which  no  man  could  number,  sealed  at  the  close  of  the 
Gentile  dispensation,  of  which  he  has  been  prophesy- 
ing; for  after  he  has  gone  through  with  numbering 
twelve  thousand  in  every  tribe,  he  then  says,  Rev.  vii. 
9,  "After  this  I  beheld,"  that  is,  after  this  sealing,  by 
which  144,000  had  been  sealed  among  the  Jews,  he 
beheld,  "  and  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could 
number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and 
tongues,  stood  before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb, 
clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands." 
This  evidently  refers  to  the  last  sealing  time  among  all 
nations ;  for  he  again  hears  them  singing  the  grand 
chorus  song,  as  at  the  close  of  the  history  of  the  seven 
churches,  "  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Salva- 
tion to  our  God,  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto 
the  Lamb.  And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the 
throne,  and  about,  the  elders  and  the  four  beasts,  and 
fell  before  the  throne  on  their  faces,  and  worshipped 
God,  saying,  Amen:  blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom? 
and  thanksgiving,  and  honor,  and  power,  and  might  be 
unto  our  God  forever  and  ever,  amen." 

This  shows  us  that  we  are  again  brought  down  the 
stream  of  time,  to  hear  a  part,  at  least,  of  the  song 
which  no  man  can  sing,  but  those  whose  bodies  are 
redeemed  from  the  earth.  "And  one  of  the  elders 
answered,  saying  unto  me,  What  are  these  which  are 
arrayed  in  white  robes  ?  And  whence  came  they  ?  And 
I  said  unto  him,  Sir,  thou  knowest.  And  he  said  unto 
me,  These  are  they  which  come  out  of  great  tribulation, 
and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  This  passage  shows  who 
those  were  that  John  saw,  and  how  they  obtained  the 
honor  and  glory,  which  John  saw  them  possessing, 
through  great  tribulation,  and  the  blood  of  the  Lamb 
"Therefore  are  they   before  the  throne  of  God,  and 


188  LECTURE    XII. 

serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple:  and  he  that 
sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell  among  them;"  the 
same  as  in  Rev.  xx.  6,  "And  they  lived  and  reigned 
with  him,"  in  the  New  Jerusalem  state  ;  for  he  goes  on 
to  describe  this  state  of  happiness,  which  John  does  in 
Rev.  xxi.  1 — 5,  compared  with  the  two  following, 
and  there  can  be  no  doubt  on  the  mind  that  John  is  de- 
scribing the  same  in  one  place  as  in  the  other.  "  They 
shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more ;  neithei 
shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat.  For  the 
Lamb,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  shall  feed 
them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains  of 
waters ;  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes."  There  can  be  no  doubt  left  on  the  mind  of  any 
man,  that  John  has,  in  these  passages,  given  us  a  view 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  in  the  immortal  state.  We  have 
been  permitted  to  hear  a  part  of  the  new  song,  and  have 
received,  in  the  passage  just  read,  the  blessed  promises 
contained  in  that  beloved  city.  And  now,  we  only  wait 
for  the  last  seal  to  open.  "And  when  he  had  opened 
the  seventh  seal,  there  was  silence  in  heaven  about  the 
space  of  half*  an  hour."  Zechariah  says,  ii.  13,  "  Be 
silent,  O  all  flesh,  before  the  Lord ;  for  he  is  raised  up 
out  of  his  holy  habitation !  "  Habakkuk  says,  ii.  20,  "  But 
the  Lord  is  in  his  holy  temple ;  let  all  the  earth  keep 
silence  before  him ! "  From  these  passages  I  should 
infer,  that  when  God  arises  up  to  the  prey,  when  his 
g-reat  white  throne  is  set  in  the  heavens,  and  when  the 
Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  with 
power  and  great  glory,  then  will  all  flesh  be  silent 
before  him.  And  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the 
whole  universe  of  rational  beings  who  may  be  permitted 
to  witness  that  grand  scene,  will  be  so  filled  with  won- 
der and  awe  at  the  sight  of  the  glory  of  God,  that  they 
will  be  silent  Then,  too,  will  the  redeemed  souls, 
while  the  great  Judge  is  separating  them  from  the 
wicked,  while  they  are  rising  to  meet  their  Lord  in  the 
air,  be  silent.  They  will,  like  the  children  of  Israel, 
stand  still,  (be  silent,)  and  see  the  salvation  of  God. 
And  the  wicked  world,  who  have  scoffed  at  the  idea 
of  Christ's  second  coming,  who  have  said,  "  Where  is 
the   promise   of  his  coming  ? "   and  laughed  and  ridi- 


Christ's  second  coming.  189 

culed  the  servants  of  Christ,  who  have  cried  to  them,  in 
their  midnight  revels,  "  Behold,  the  bridegroom  cometh," 
will  be  silent.  Then  will  those  servants  who  have  "  said  in 
their  hearts,  My  Lord  delayeth  his  coming,"  and  "be- 
gin to  beat  and  bruise  their  fellow-servants,"  who  have 
proclaimed  his  coming,  "  and  to  eat  and  drink  with  the 
drunken"  be  silent  Then,  too,  will  all  the  false 
prophets,  who  have  cried  Peace,  peace,  when  there  was 
no  peace,  be  silent,  when  they  see  the  frowns  of  an 
angry  judge  whom  they  have  disregarded.  Then 
shall  those  who  have  promised  the  wicked  life,  though 
he  should  not  turn  from  his  wickedness,  be  silent.  Then, 
every  one  found  in  that  great  assembly,  when  the  Son 
of  Man  shall  come  in  the  clouds,  and  all  the  holy  angels 
with  him,  and  all  the  saints  who  have  slept,  and  all  na- 
tions then  shall  be  gathered  before  him,  and  every  eye 
shall  see  him ;  then,  T  say,  will  every  one  found  in 
this  vast  multitude,  not  having  on  the  wedding  gar- 
ment, be  silent ;  for  the  Scripture  says,  "  He  ivas  sptech- 

And  now,  my  dear  friends,  what  say  you  ?  Have  you 
wept  much  to  know  whether  your  names  are  written  in 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life  ?  "  Weep  not,"  for  "  behold,  the 
Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  hath  prevailed  to  open  the 
book."  And  he  says,  "  He  that  overcometh,  the  same 
shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment ;  and  I  will  not  blot 
his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will  confess  his 
name  before  my  Father,  and  before  his  angels.  There- 
fore, "rejoice,  because  your  names  are  written  in 
heaven,"  says  the  dear  Savior. 

But  you,  my  impenitent  friends,  who  have  never  wept, 
nor  confessed  your  sins  to  God,  who  have  been  more 
anxious  to  have  your  names  written  in  the  book  of  fame, 
of  worldly  honor,  of  the  riches  of  this  world,  than  in 
the  book  of  life,  remember,  you  too  will  weep  when  all 
heaven  is  silent  —  when  the  last  seal  is  broken  —  then 
you  will  see  the  book,  and  your  name  blotted  out. 
Then  you  will  weep  and  say,  "  Once,  my  name  was 
there  ;  I  had  a  day  of  probation ;  life  vras  proffered ;  but 
I  hated  instruction,  I  despised  reproof,  and  my  part  is 
taken  from  the  book  of  life.  Farewell,  happiness 
farewell,  hope !    Amen. 


LECTURE    XIII. 


REV.  xi.  3. 


And  I  will  give  power  unto  my  two  witnesses,  and  they  shall  proph- 
esy a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days,  clothed  in 
sackcloth. 


The  two  witnesses  in  our  text  have  caused  as  much 
speculation  among  the  writers  on  the  New  Testament,  as 
any  other  passage  in  the  word  of  God.  Some  have  sup- 
posed that  it  was  a  succession  of  orthodox  divines,  whom 
God  had  raised  up  to  witness  to  the  truth,  during-  the 
time  specified,  which  all  agree  is  twelve  hundred  and 
sixty  years.  And  those  writers  who  have  taken  this  side 
of  the  question,  have  endeavored  to  find  some  favorite 
divines,  among  their  sect,  answering  to  the  description 
given  of  the  two  witnesses.  Upon  this  construction  every 
sect  might  claim  the  honor  of  giving  to  the  world  the  two 
witnesses.  And  were  this  explanation  true,  instead  of 
two  witnesses,  we  should  have  more  than  eight  hundred  ; 
for  every  sect  must  have  a  set,  and  I  dare  not  give  pref- 
erence to  any.  .  This  would  destroy  the  idea  of  two  wit- 
nesses at  once. 

Other  writers  have  fixed  on  the  church  as  the  two, 
clergy  and  laity ;  hut  here  are  many  difficulties  to  en- 
counter, the  same  as  above.  Every  sect  must  have  their 
own  church  and  clergy,  or  admit  at  once  that  they  are 
not  the  true  church.  But  let  us  now  come  to  the  word 
of  God.  And  if  the  word  of  God  does  not  explain  the 
"  two  witnesses,"  I  shall  despair  of  ever  coming  to  the 
truth  on  this  subject,  for  I  am  commanded  by  Christ  him- 
self to  call  no  man  master.    I  shall,  then, 


Christ's  second  coming.  191 

Attempt  to  show  what  the  Bible  calls  the  two  wit- 


II.  What  we  may  understand  by  their  being1  clothed 
in  sackcloth. 

III.  Their  history,  prophecy,  and  time  specified. 

I.  What  is  the  Bible  account  of  the  two  witnesses  ? 
And,  first,  What  is  a  witness  ?  I  answer,  A  witness  is  a 
person,  or  legal  instrument,  testifying  to  the  truth,  the 
whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  on  matters  of  fact 
which  are  supposed  to  be  known  no  way  but  through  tes- 
timony, either  oral  or  written.  Oral  testimony  is  given 
by  a  person  who  is  sworn  to  tell  the  whole  truth,  as  above, 
and  relate  what  he  actually  knows,  by  the  medium  of  his 
own  senses,  and  no  more  nor  less.  The  apostles  were 
such  witnesses ;  for  they  testified  to  the  things  which 
Christ  did  in  public.  And  when  Judas  fell  by  transgres- 
sion, Peter  informed  his  brethren  that  one  must  be  cho- 
sen, "  of  these  men  which  have  companied  with  us  all  the 
time  that  the  Lord  Jesus  went  in  and  out  among  us,  be- 
ginning at  the  baptism  of  John,  unto  the  same  day  that 
he  was  taken  up  from  us?  must  one  be  ordained  to  be  a 
ivitness  with  us  of  his  resurrection."  But  these  could  not 
be  the  "two  witnesses;"  for  here  were  twelve.  But  we 
learn  by  this  history  what  a  witness  must  be.  He  must 
go  in  and  out ;  he  must  know  by  actual  observation,  or 
he  could  not  testify  any  thing  concerning  Christ.  That 
was  the  manner  of  oral  testimony  in  that  day,  and  so  it  is 
at  the  present.  This,  then,  precludes  the  idea  at  once 
of  any  men,  or  set  of  men,  being  Christ's  witnesses  at  the 
present  day,  or  since  the  days  of  the  apostles.  But,  says 
the  objector,  does  not.  the  word  of  God  call  all  Christians 
witnesses  for  Christ?  I  do  not  know  of  any  scripture 
where  Christians  are  called  witnesses,  except  the  proph- 
ets and  apostles,  or  inspired  writers,  that  is,  concerning 
Christ.  They  may  witness  a  good  profession,  or  they 
may  witness  for  themselves,  that  they  believe  in  Christ 
or  his  word  ;  but  further  they  cannot  go.  They  are  not 
witness  either  to  the  person  of  Christ,  to  his  works,  death, 
miracles,  or  resurrection  and  ascension :  and  if  there  was 
no  other  testimony  but  oral,  we  should  be  no  better  off 
than  the  darkest  Hindoo   or  most  ignorant  Hottentot 


192  LECTURE    XIII. 

But,  thanks  be  to  God,  he  has  not  left  us  without  a  wit- 
ness. There  is  a  better  testimony  than  all  Christendom, 
which  is  written ;  and  it  is  this  which  I  hold  in  my  hand ; 
it  is  the  word  of  God.  It  tells  the  truth ;  "  for  not  one  jot 
or  tittle  of  this  word  shall  fail."  It  tells  the  wjiole  truth, 
"  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfectly  furnished  to 
every  good  work."  It  tells  nothing  but  the  truth;  for  it 
is  the  truth  indited  by  him  who  cannot  lie. 

You  are  well  aware,  my  friends,  that  written  testimony 
is  considered  in  all  courts,  under  all  laws,  to  be  stronger 
than  any  oral  testimony  whatever.  For  instance,  take  the 
last  will  and  testament  of  any  man;  if  it  was  written  or 
indited  by  himself,  signed  by  his  own  hand,  sealed  with 
his  own  seal,  in  presence  of  "witnesses  chosen  by  himself, 
and  ratified  by  his  death,  no  oral  testimony  can  be  brought- 
against  it ;  unless  the  instrument  itself  shows  some  con- 
tradiction or  discrepancy,  it  cannot  be  destroyed.  So  it 
is  with  these  two  testaments,  revealed,  indited,  confirmed, 
witnessed,  and  ratified,  by  the  death  of  the  testator,  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  And  although  wicked  men  and  dev-. 
ils  have  endeavored  to  show  some  contradiction  or  dis 
crepancy  in  its  testimony,  it  has  stood  the  shock  of 
ages,  the  wreck  of  kingdoms,  and  will  stand  when  these 
heavens  and  this  earth  shall  pass  away  with  a  great  noise 
and  the  elements  melt  with  fervent  heat ;  for  by  this 
word  we  must  all  be  judged  ;  by  these  witnesses  we  shall 
be  justified  or  condemned.  Christ  says,  "  Search  the 
Scriptures  ;  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life  ;  and 
they  are  they  which  testify  of  me."  The  angel  tells  John, 
in  the  next  verse  following  our  text,  that  the  two  wit- 
nesses "  are  the  two  olive  trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks 
standing  before  the  God  of  the  earth."  The  angel,  in  his 
allusion  to  the  two  olive  trees,  quotes  the  prophet  Zech- 
ariah,  iv.,3,  "  And  two  olive  trees  by  it,  one  upon  the  right 
side  of  the  bowl,  and  the  other  upon  the  left  side  thereof." 
Here  the  olive  trees  are  used  in  a  figurative  sense,  and 
properly  denote  the  "  sons-  of  oil,"  or  the  two  cherubims 
which  stood  over  the  ark,  and  spread  their  wings  over  the 
mercy  seat.  The  wings  of  the  cherubims  stretched  from 
either  side  of  the  house  to  the  centre  over  the  mercy  seat, 
and  their  faces  turned  inwards  down  upon  the  mercy  seat, 


Christ's  second   coming.  198 

and  the  glory  of  the  God  of  Israel  was  above  the  cheru- 
bims.  These  cherub ims  are  a  lively  type  of  the  Old  and 
.New  Testament.  The  signification  of  cherub  is  "ful- 
ness of  knowledge;"  so  is  the  word  of  God,  "that  the 
man  of  God  may  be  thoroughly  furnished,  perfect  in  every 
good  work."  They  have  the  whole  truth,  all  we  can 
know  about  Jesus  Christ  in  this  state.  They  stand  on 
either  hand  of  Christ,  one  before  he  came  in  the  flesh, 
pointing  to  a  Messiah  to  come,  by  all  its  types  and  shad- 
ows ;  and  like  the  cherub  whose  wings  touched  the  outer 
wall  of  the  room  and  reached  to  the  centre  over  the  mercy 
seat,  so  did  the  Old  Testament  reach  from  the  creation 
of  the  world  down  to  John's  preaching  in  the  wilderness, 
and  like  the  cherub  looking  down  on  the  mercy  seat,  it 
testified  of  the  Messiah.  The  other  cherubim's  wings 
reached  from  the  centre  over  the  mercy  seat,  and  touched 
the  other  wall  of  the  room,  while  his  face  was  turned 
back  upon  the  mercy  seat.  So  does  the  New  Testament 
begin  at  the  preaching  of  John,  and  reveals  all  that  is 
necessary  for  us  to  know,  down  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
And  all  the  ordinances  of  the  New  Testament  house  look 
back  to  the  sufferings,  death,  and  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  are  to  continue  until  his  second  coming  and 
end  of  the  world.  These  cherubims  were  made  of  olive 
trees,  and  overlaid  with  pure  gold,  1  Kings  vi.  23 — 28. 
Again:  the  angel  tells  Zechariah  what  the  two  olive 
trees  are,  Zech.  iv.  4 — 6,  "  So  I  answered  and  spake  to 
the  angel  that  talked  with  me,  saying,  What  are  these, 
my  lord?"  (the  two  olive  trees.)  "  Then  the  angel  that 
talked  with  me  answered  and  said  unto  me,  Knowest 
thou  not  what  these  be?  And  I  said,  No,  my  lord. 
Then  he  answered  and  spake  unto  me,  saying,  This  is 
the  word  of  the  Lord  unto  Zerubabel,"  &c.  Here  we 
are  plainly  told  that  the  two  olive  trees  are  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  and  the  angel  tells  John,  Rev.  xi.  4,  that  "  the 
two  witnesses  are  the  two  olive  trees  and  the  two  candle- 
sticks." As  candlesticks  are  the  means  of  light,  so  is 
the  word  of  God.  Candlesticks  are  used  in  Scripture  in 
the  same  sense  as  lamps.  And  David  says, "  Thy  word  is 
a  lamp  to  my  feet  and  a  light  to  my  path."  Therefore  1 
humbly  believe  that  I  have  fairly  and  conclusively  proved 


194  LECTURE   Xltf. 

that  the  two  witnesses  are  the  Old  and  New  Testament. 
And  I  will, 

II.  Show  what  we  may  understand  by  the  two  wit- 
nesses being  clothed  in  sackcloth. 

Sackcloth  denotes  a  state  of  darkness,  as  in  Rev.  vi. 
12,  "  The  sun  became  black  as  sackcloth  of  hair  ;"  that 
is,  the  sun  became  dark,  invisible,  and  did  not  give  its 
light.  Just  so  during  the  dark  ages  of  papal  rule,  the 
word  of  God  was  darkened  by  monkish  superstition,  big- 
otry, and  ignorance  in  its  sacred  principles.  It  did  not 
give  its  true  light,  because  the  laws,  doctrines,  and  ordi- 
nances were  changed  by  the  laws  of  the  Latin  church ; 
its  doctrine  was  perverted  by  the  introduction  of  the  doc- 
trine of  devils  and  the  anti- Christian  abominations :  its 
ordinances  were  so  altered  as  to  suit  the  convenience  of 
carnal  men  ;  and  it  was  obscured,  because  the  common 
people  were  forbidden  to  read  it,  or  even  to  have  it  in 
their  houses,  by  the  Papal  authority.  It  was  hid  from 
the  world  in  a  great  measure;  for  the  Papal  beast,  the 
church  of  Rome,  forbade  its  translation  into  any  language 
except  the  Greek  and  Latin,  which  languages  ceased  to 
be  spoken  in  the  R,oman  government  in  the  middle  of  the 
sixth  century.  Sackcloth  denotes  great  calamities  and 
troubles,  as  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  2  Kings,  xix.  1,  2, 
"  When  king  Hezekiah  heard  (the  threatenings  of  the 
king  of  Assyria,)  he  rent  his  clothes,  and  covered  him- 
self with  sackcloth  ;"  also,  the  Ninevites  put  on  sackcloth 
at  the  preaching  of  Jonah,  when  their  city  was  threat- 
ened with  a  final  overthrow.  So  with  the  two  witnesses  ; 
while  they  were  clothed  in  sackcloth,  it  was  a  time  of 
great  Calamity  and  trouble  to  the  people  of  God  ;  perse- 
cution raged  without  any  mitigation  in  some  or  all  parts 
of  the  Roman  government,  and  the  church  of  God,  which 
was  fed  and  nourished  by  the  "  two  witnesses,"  during' 
her  residence  in  the  wilderness,  was  threatened  With  a 
final  destruction  by  the  Papal  armies,  the  inquisition,  and 
every  other  means  that  could  be  devised  by  wicked  men 
or  devils.  But  God  has  preserved  his  word,  through  all 
the  persecutions  of  the  Roman  power.     I  shall  now, 

III.  Show  their  history,  prophecy,  and  time  specified 
in  the  text. 


Christ's  second  coming.  195 

1st.  Their  history,  contained  in  Rev.  xi.  5 — 13,  inclu- 
sive. Let  me  read  and  explain.  5th  verse,  "  If  any  man 
will  hurt  them,  fire  proceedeth  out  of  their  mouth,  and 
devoureth  their  enemies  ,  and  if  any  man  will  hurt  them, 
he  must  in  this  manner  be  killed."  If  any  man  shall  add 
or  take  away  from  the  hook  or  revelation  of  God,  "  God 
shall  take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  out 
of  the  holy  city ; "  and  "  God  shall  add  unto  him  the 
plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book."  This  verse  has 
been  verified  in  our  day  in  the  history  of  deistical  France. 
The  rulers  of  France,  in  the  revolution,  proclaimed  a 
war  of  extermination  against. the  fishermen's  Bible,  as 
they  were  pleased  to  term  it ;  and  within  six  years  they 
exterminated  themselves,  the  republic,  and  almost  their 
principles.  The  kingdom  was  deluged  in  blood  ;  anarchy 
was  the  law  of  the  land  ;  and  the  judgments  deaounced 
by  this  word  were  literally  accomplished,  so  that  deists 
themselves  stood  appalled  at  the  horror  and  confusion 
their  own  principles  had  brought  upon  their  heaven- 
daring  crimes. 

6th  verse,  "  These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  it 
rain  not  in  the  days  of  their  prophecy."  Allusion  is  here 
had  to  "  the  three  years  and  a  half,"  in  the  days  of  Elijah, 
when  the  heavens  were  shut  up,  Luke  iv.  25,  which  is 
the  same  time  the  witnesses  prophesy  clothed  in  sack- 
cloth, 1260  days,  forty-two  months,  thirty  days  to  a 
month;  that  being  common  time,  and  this  prophetic. 
The  Scriptures  are  the  means  which  God  has  made  use 
of  to  convert  sinners  from  error  to  truth,  from  sin  to 
righteousness,  and  to  convey  the  knowledge  of  grace, 
(which  in  this  verse  is  compared  to  rain,)  to  a  lost  and 
perishing  world.  During  the  reign  of  anti-Christ,  1260 
years,  the  church  in  the  wilderness,  and  the  two  wit- 
nesses clothed  in  sackcloth  the  same  1260  years,  the 
doctrine  of  grace  in  Jesus  Christ  was  but  partially 
taught.  Much  of  the  professedly  Christian  world  have 
been  taught  that  doing  penance,  purchasing  indul- 
gences, obeying  the  holy  Catholic  church,  or  performing 
some  outward  act  for  pardon,  would  answer  them  heaven 
and  happiness.  But  when  the  Scriptures  began  to  be 
read  and  understood,  and  where  the  doctrine  of  grace  in 


196  LECTURE   XIII. 

Jesus  Christ  has  been  published  by  the  translation  and 
circulation  of  the  word  of  God,  how  different  the  scene  ! 
Now,  we  can  hardly  find  a  Roman  Catholic  who  will  pre 
tend  that  heaven  is  purchased  by  infliction  of  bodily  tor- 
ture, by  doing  penance,  or  by  a  monastic  seclusion  from 
the  world;  neither  do  we  see  them  selling  indulgences, 
and  promising  the  holders  pardon  for  the  most  abomina- 
ble crimes.  And  but  rarely  do  we  hear  the  infallibility 
of  the  mother,  or  holy  Catholic  church,  advanced  from 
pulpit  or  press.  Why  this  mighty  change  in  public  sen- 
timent ?  Because  the  reign  of  grace  is  not  withheld ; 
the  two  witnesses  are  no  longer  clothed  in  sackcloth ; 
"  Michael  has  stood  up,  that  standeth  for  the  children  of 
thy  people."  And  the  "angel  is  flying  through  the 
midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach 
to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth."  "  And  have  power 
over  the  waters  to  turn  them  to  blood."  By  ivateis,  we 
understand  people  ;  and  by  blood,  wars.  This  text  has 
been  amply  fulfilled  in  the  wars  of  Europe,  fighting  for 
religious  tenets  and  ecclesiastical  power,  claiming  their 
prerogatives  from  the  two  witnesses,  and  wresting  and 
perverting  the  word  of  God  to  their  own  destruction. 
"  And  from  thence  come  wars,  tumults,  fightings,"  be- 
cause they  understand  not.  "  And  to  smite  the  earth 
with  all  plagues,  as  often  as  they  will."  In  Old  Testa- 
ment times,  it  was  the  word  of  God,  through  Moses  and 
Aaron,  that  smote  Egypt  with  the  ten  plagues,  and 
through  Joshua  the  Canaanites.  So,  in  New  Testament 
times,  the  seven  last  plagues,  and  the  three  woes,  are 
denounced  against  the  anti-Christian  beast,  who  dwells 
on  and  has  great  power  over  the  earth.  "  As  often  as 
they  will,"  meaning  as  often  as  they  have  prophesied  of 
them,  so  often  will  the  plagues  be  sent.  Not  one  jot  or 
tittle  of  the  word  of  God  will  fail. 

7th  verse,  "  And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their 
testimony,"  that  is,  when  the  1260  years  are  about  ful- 
filled, the  "beast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the  bottomless 
pit ; "  this  beast  is  the  same  as  the  little  horn,  Papal 
Rome,  and  is  said  to  ascend  out  of  the  bottomless  pit, 
because  it  is  founded  on  error.  The  principles  taught 
by  this  beast  were  first  Paganism,  and  ended  in  Deism, 


Christ's  second  coming.  197 

which  are  not  built  on  the  word  of  God ;  and,  therefore, 
have  no  foundation,  and  may  truly  be  said  to  be  "  bottom- 
less." "  Shall  make  war  against  them."  The  govern- 
ments, under  the  authority  of  Papal  Rome,  shall  en- 
deavor to  exterminate  the  "  two  witnesses,"  the  word  of 
God.  "  And  shall  overcome  them,  and  kill  them ; "  have 
power  over  them,- pass  laws  or  edicts  against  them,  and, 
by  this  means,  destroy- their  usefulness,  life,  and  activity. 
For  where  the  Scriptures  are  not  read,  and  believed  in, 
they  become  a  dead  letter;  but  when  read,  and  believed, 
"  they  are  spirit,  they  are  life,"  John  vi.  63. 

8th  verse,  "  And  their  dead  bodies  shall  lie  in  the 
streets  of  the- great  city,  which  spiritually  is  called 
Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified." 
This  verse  teaches  us,  that  the  word  of  God  would  be 
made  a  dead  letter,  by  the  authority  of  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal kingdoms  out  of  one  of  the  ten  into  which  the  Ro- 
man government  was  divided,  and  that  they  would  be 
guilty  of  the  same  sins  that  Sodom  and  Egypt  were 
guilty  of;  and,  also,  of  crucifying  our  Lord,  that  is,  in  a 
spiritual  sense.  This  will  apply  to  France  in  particular. 
France,  previous  to,  and  in  the  French  revolution,  was 
guilty  of  Sodomitish  sins;  she  also  had  held  in  bondage, 
like  Egypt,  the  people  of  God ;  and,  in  France,  Christ 
had  been  crucified  afresh  in  his  people,  on  St.  Bartholo- 
mew's eve,  A.  D.  1572,  when  50,000  Huguenots  were 
murdered  in  one  night  The  people  of  God  are  called 
Christ's  spiritual  body,  1  Peter  ii.  5,  Col.  i.  24. 

9th  verse,  "  And  they  of  the  people,  and  kindreds,  and 
tongues,  shall  see  their  dead  bodies  three  days  and  a 
half,  and  shall  not  suffer  their  dead  bodies  to  be  put 
in  graves."  This  decree,  or  edict,  should  be  generally 
known  among  all  nations ;  and  although  they  could  not 
prevent  the  witnesses  from  lying  in  the  streets  of  the 
great  city  three  years  and  a  half,  yet  the  nations  about 
them  would  prevent  the  Scriptures  from  being  buried, 
or  put  out  of  sight. 

10th  verse,  "  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall 

rejoice  over  them,  and  make  merry,  and  shall  send  gifts 

one  to  another,  because  these  two  prophets  tormented 

them  that  dwelt  upon  the  earth."     We  learn  by  this  text 

17* 


198  LECTURE   Xfitl. 

that  the  nation,  who  would  suppress  the  reading  of  the 
word  of  God,  would  make  great  rejoicings  upon  this  oc- 
casion, and  congratulate  each  other  upon  the  destruction 
of  the  Bible,  as  they  would  suppose,  for  this  reason,  be- 
cause the  doctrine  and  precepts  of  the  Bible  would  be 
hateful  and  disagreeable  to  them. 

11th  verse,  "And  after  three  days  and  a  half,  [years,] 
the  spirit  of  life  from  God  entered  into  them,  and  they 
stood  upon  their  feet ;  and  great  fear  fell  upon  them 
which  saw  them."  After  the  Bible  would  be  dormant 
three  years  and  a  half,  God  would  so  order  in  his  provi- 
dence, that  they  would  again  be  permitted  to  be  read 
and  enjoyed  as  usual,  and  the  Bible  would  again  stand 
upon  its  own  foundation,  or  merits,  and  would  again 
have  their  bearing  on  the  hopes  and  fears  of  mankind, 
and  the  governments  of  the  world,  and  their  enemies 
would  see  it  and  tremble. 

12th  verse,  "  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from 
heaven,  saying  unto  them,  Come  up  hither ;  and  they  as- 
cended up  to  heaven  in  a  cloud,  and  their  enemies  be- 
held them."  This  verse  shows  us  that  many  voices 
would  unite  in  calling  for  a  general  spread  of  the  Bible 
through  the  world,  and  that  the  Bible  would  be  exalted 
among  the  nations,  and  great  multitudes  of  them  circu- 
lated, and  the-  enemies  of  the  word  of  God  could  not 
prevent  it.  Here  we  have  a  plain  and  distinct  prophecy 
of  the  Bible  societies. 

13th  verse,  "And  the  same  hour  was  there  a  great 
earthquake,  and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell,  and  in  the 
earthquake  were  slain  of  men  [names  or  titles]  seven 
thousand,  and  the  remnant  were  affrighted,  and  gave  glo- 
ry to  the  God  of  heaven."  At  the  same  hour  the  wit- 
nesses would  be  slain,  there  would  be  a  great  revolu- 
tion, and  one  of  the  ten  kingdoms,  which  had  given  their 
power  and  support  to  the  Papal  beast,  would  fall ;  and 
seven  thousand  names,  or  titles  of  nobility,  in  chnrch 
and  state,  would  be  destroyed;  and  this  revolution 
would  produce  great  fear  among  the  nations,  and  some 
would  acknowledge  that  the  word  was  fulfilling,- and  God 
was  producing  these  wonderful  events^  Here  we  again 
see  exactly  depicted  the  French  revolution,   and  its  ef- 


Christ's  second  coming.  199 

fects ;  and  we  cannot  but  see  that  the  whole  of  this 
prophecy  has  been  literally  fulfilled. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century,  about  A.  D.  538, 
Justinian,  emperor  of  Constantinople,  in  his  controversy 
with  the  Arians,  and  other  schismatics  in  the  Greek 
church,  constituted  the  bishop  of  Rome  head  over  all 
others,  both  in  the  western  and  eastern  churches,  who, 
by  his  authority,  suppressed  the  reading  of  the  Bible  by 
laymen,  pretending  that  they  could  not  read  and  under- 
stand without  the  assistance  of  the  clergy.  About  this 
time,  too,  the  Latin  language  ceased  to  be  spoken  in 
Italy,  and  the  Greek  and  Latin  both  became  dead  lan- 
guages. The  Bible  at  that  time  not  being  written  or 
translated  into  any  other  languages  in  Europe,  it  became 
an  easy  task  for  the  bishop  to  obscure  the  doctrine  and 
discipline  of  the  word  of  God,  so  far  as  suited  his  con- 
venience, and  to  obtain  universal  power  over  the  minds 
and  consciences  of  men,  and  clothe  the  Scriptures  in 
sackcloth.  If,  then,  the  Scriptures  were  first  clothed  in 
sackcloth  in  A.  D.  538,  and  were  to  prophesy  1260  years 
in  this  situation,  their  prophecy  would  end  in  1798. 
About  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  abominable  corruptions  of  the  church  of 
Rome  being  exposed  to  public  view,  the  men  of  the 
world  began  to  treat  revelation  as  a  fiction,  and  religion 
as  priestcraft ;  and  instead  of  searching  for  the  pillar 
and  ground  of  the  truth,  "  their  imaginations  became 
vain,  and  their  foolish  minds  were  darkened."  They 
declared  war  against  the  Bible,  the  "  two  witnesses," 
which  war  became  general  all  over  Europe  and  America, 
Some  of  the  most  eminent  and  principal  writers  in  this 
controversy  were  in  France,  the  principal  kingdom 
among  the  ten,  into  which  Rome  had  been  divided  at 
the  close  of  the  fifth  century ;  and  so  successful  were 
these  writers,  that  almost  the  whole  nation  of  the  French 
became  Deists,  or  Atheists,  in  a  short  time.  This  na- 
tion had  long  been  guilty  of  the  abominations  of  the 
anti-Christian  beast,  the  sins  of  Sodom  and  Egypt,  and 
the  persecution  of  those  who  protested  against  her  na- 
tional corruptions  :  the  slaying  of  the  witnesses ;  their 
lying  in  a  dead  state  three  years  and  a  half  in  the  street 


300  LECTURE    XIII. 

of  the  great  city ;  the  revolution  spoken  of  in  this  proph- 
ecy —  all  happened  in  the  French  revolution,  between 
the  years  1793  and  1798.  A  decree  was  passed  by  the 
council  and  directory  of  France,  prohibiting  the  Bible 
to  be  read  in  pub]ic,  in  any  of  the  chapels  in  France  , 
and  Bibles  were  gathered  in  heaps,  and  bonfires  were 
made  of  them,  and  great  rejoicings  were  had  all  ovei 
the  kingdom  at  the  downfall  of  priestcraft,  as  they  called 
it ;  and  particularly  at  Lyons,  where  the  Scriptures  were 
publicly  dragged  through  the  streets,  with  circumstances 
of  the  greatest  contempt,  and  other  things  transacted  in 
the  exultation  of  their  triumph,  which  are  too  shocking 
to  narrate.  Let  it  suffice,  then,  to  say,  that  after  three 
years  and  a  half  the  Bible  was  again  permitted  to  be 
read,  and  religion  had  free  toleration  in  France ;  and 
what  is  equally  as  remarkable,  is,  that  the  same  year  a 
few  individuals  in  London  established  what  has  since 
been  styled  the  Bible  society,  which  has  been  instru- 
mental in  sending  Bibles  among  all  nations,  and  of  trans- 
lating them  into  more  than  150  languages  since  that  pe- 
riod ;  and  almost  all  the  writers,  who  acknowledge  the 
Bible  to  be  the  two  witnesses,  do  agree  that  the  events, 
prophesied  of  in  this  passage,  were  literally  accom- 
plished in  the  French  revolution.  Now,  the  Bible  is 
more  than  restored  to  its  former  state  in  society  ;  it  is 
exalted,  and  every  person  can  have,  and  read,  and  ex- 
amine for  themselves  into  its  sacred  truths.  It  is  also  a 
fact,  that  the  progress  of  the  Bible  society  has  exceeded 
the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  its  advocates  ;  and  the 
Atheists  and  Deists  of  our  day  appear  to  be  perfectly 
confounded  at  these  events.  Instead  now  of  declaring 
open  war  against  the  Bible,  they  make  pretence  at  least 
of  drawing  their  rules  of  morality  from  this  blessed 
book ;  and  the  man  who  should  now  undertake  to  write 
down  the  word  of  God,  would  be  considered  either  a 
madman,  or  a  fool.  One  thing  more :  In  the  French 
Revolution,  the  names  or  titles  of  men  were  abolished  ; 
and  it  is  said  by  some  writers,  that,  in  the  long  list  of 
titled  nobility,  and  the  great  catalogue  of  priestly  orders, 
there  were  seven  thousand  destroyed  at  once.  Well 
might  the  remnant  be  affrighted,  and  give  glory  to  the 
God  of  heaven ! 


Christ's  second  coming.  201 

Let  us  now  for  a  moment  see  what  follows  the  nistory 
of  the  two  witnesses. 

14th  verse,  "  The  second  woe  is  past,  and  behold,  the 
third  woe  cometh  quickly."  The  second  woe  began  by 
the  civil  wars  in  France  and  Germany,  and  ended  in  the 
French  revolution ;  and  the  third  woe  will  come  quickly. 
It  is  the  last  great  woe  denounced  against  the  woman 
sitting  upon  the  scarlet-colored  beast,  and  against  the 
earth,  which  she  hath  filled  with  her  sorceries,  and  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world,  which  must  all  be  destroyed  un- 
der this  woe. 

15th  verse,  "And  the  seventh  angel  sounded,  and 
there  were  great  voices  in  heaven  saying,  The  kingdoms 
of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and 
his  Christ,  and  he  shall  reign  forever  and  ever."  The 
third  woe  and  seventh  trumpet  are  both  the  same  thing, 
(see  Rev.  viii.  13 ;)  and  the  seventh  trumpet  is  the  last 
trump,  when  the  dead  shall  be  raised.  See  1  Cor.  xv. 
52.  It  is  evident,  also,  that  we  are  carried  into  the 
eternal  state  forever  and  ever. 

16th  verse,  "  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  which 
sat  before  God  on  their  seats,  fell  on  their  faces  and 
worshipped  God."  By  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  I 
understand  the  true  ministers  of  Christ,  alluding  to  the 
twenty-four  courses  of  the  priesthood  appointed  by 
J>avid,  I  Chron.  xxiv. 

17th  verse,  "Saying,  We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord 
God  Almighty,  which  art,  and  wast,  and  art  to  come,  be- 
cause thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy  great  power,  and  hast 
reigned."  This  is  the  language  of  every  humble  and 
devoted  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  makes  the  word  of 
God  his  study,  and  believes  in  the  overruling  hand  of 
God  as  accomplishing  the  great  designs  therein  revealed. 

18th  verse,  "  And  the  nations  were  angry,  and  thy 
wrath  is  come,  and  the  time  of  the  dead,  that  they  should 
be  judged,  and  that  thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto  thy 
servants  the  prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and  them  that 
fear  thy  name,  small  and  great,  and  shouldest  destroy 
them  which  destroy  the  earth." 

This  verse  shows  us  what  takes  place  at  the  sounding 
of  the  seventh  trumpet  and  third  woe,  which  the  angel 


202  LECTURE   ^III. 

says  will  come  quickly  after  the  French  revolution,  if  1 
am  right  in  my  explanation  of  the  two  witnesses.  It  is 
morally  certain  that  the  word  of  God  is  not  now  in  an 
obscure  state ;  it  is  not  hid  from  the  world,  neither  is 
clothed  in  sackcloth.  It  is  true  that  many  voices  have 
united  in  the  Bible  societies  to  spread  the  knowledge  of 
the  word  of  God  ;  and  that  it  is  translated  into  about  all 
the  known  languages  in  the  world.  It  is  almost  abso- 
lutely certain  that  the  French  people  are  the  nation  that 
is  compared  to  Sodom  and  Egypt,  in  the  passage  we 
have  been  examining ;  and  likewise  the  earthquake  spo- 
ken of  is  the  French  revolution.  Then  if  the  two  wit- 
nesses are  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  we  are  certain 
the  third  woe  is  coming  quickly,  and  the  seventh  trump 
must  shortly  begin  to  sound,  as  I  have  already  proved  in 
my  lecture  on  the  trumpets,  in  the  year  1839.  You 
have  undoubtedly  seen,  my  friends,  that  we  are  likewise 
brought  down  to  the  judgment,  when  God  will  reward  the 
righteous,  and  destroy  the  wicked,  who  have  persecuted 
the  saints  and  trampled  them  under  foot. 

And  once  more  let  me  inquire  how  it  stands  with  you, 
my  dear  hearer.  Are  you  prepared  for  that  great  and 
solemn  day?  Are  you  ready  to  meet  the  judgment? 
The  two  witnesses  will  appear  for  or  against  you.  Their 
testimony  will  not  fail.  Do  you  believe  them  ?  He  that 
believeth  shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  believeth  not  shall 
be  damned.  "  The  word  that  I  have  spoken,"  says 
Christ,  "  the  same  shall  judge  you  in  the  last  day."  Why 
will  you  not  be  warned  ?  If  half  the  evidence  that  I 
have  brought  of  our  being  on  the  end  of  this  dispensa- 
tion, was  brought  to  prove  there  was  a  great  treasure  hid 
in  your  .field,  how  soon  would  you  search  and  how  dili- 
gently would  you  seek  until  you  found  it! 

In  this  book,  of  which  we  have  now  been  speaking, 
are  durable  riches,  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  seven  times 
purified.  "  Search  for  it  as  for  hidden  treasures ;  seek 
and  you  shall  find."  Can  you  tell  me  where  the  word 
of  God,  the  Bible,  has  failed  of  being  accomplished  lit- 
erally, and  in  the  time  specified  ?  Many  events  have 
been  foretold,  the  times  given,  and  not  one  failed.  How 
can  you  disbelieve  ?     How  can  you  shut  your  eyea 


Christ's  second  coming.  203 

against  so  much  light  ?  Where  will  you  have  an  ex- 
cuse in  the  day  of  judgment  ?  I  have  repeatedly  brought 
you  down  to  this  time,  and  shown,  by  Scripture  proof,  the 
judgment  must  commence  immediately.  You  are  in 
your  hearts  convicted  that  what  has  been  declared  con- 
cerning the  two  witnesses,  in  this  discourse,  is  true. 
And  if  so,  your  reason  must  teach  you  that  what  follows 
under  the  third  woe  must  be  equally  as  true.  "  And  the 
nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath  is  come,  and  the 
time  of  the  dead,  that  they  should  be  judged,  and  that 
thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto  thy  servants  the  proph- 
ets, and  to  the  saints,  and  them  that  fear  thy  name,  small 
and  great ;  and  shouldest  destroy  them  which  destroy 
the  earth." 


LECTURE    XIV 


REV.  xii.  6. 


And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  hath  a  place 
prepared  of  God,  that  they  should  feed  her  there  a  thousand  two 
hundred  and  threescore  days. 

The  history  of  the  church,  in  all  ages  of  this  present 
world,  is  but  a  history  of  persecution  and  blood,  when  we 
follow  her  through  all  dispensations  from  Adam  to  Moses, 
and  from  Moses  to  Christ ;  so  likewise  from  Christ's  first 
coming  down  to  his  second  appearance,  the  church  have 
experienced,  and  according  to  the  whole  tenor  of  Scrip- 
ture, must  expect  to  realize  from  ihe  kingdoms  and  men 
of  this  world,  this  one  promise  at  least,  "In  the  world 
ye  shall  have  tribulation."  These  facts  are  so  plain  and 
obvious,  that  it  has  given  rise  to  a  common  saying 
among  almost  all  writers,  that  "  the  blood  of  martyrs  is 
the  seed  of  the  church."  Yet  there  is  a  bright  side  to 
her  history  ;  for  she  has  come  out  of  all  her  persecutions 
more  purified,  more  faithful,  and  with  more  energy,  to 
prosecute  the  Avork  her  divine  Master  has  left  her  to 
perform.  And  one  other  thing  is  certain  — God  has  pre- 
served her,  whether  in  the  wilderness  or  among  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  in  an  extraordinary  and  miraculous 
manner  ;  even  her  enemies  themselves  being  her  judges. 
Where  has  a  kingdom  stood  when  all  the  nations  about 
them  have  conspired  their  overthrow  ?  Where  is  the 
Assyrian  and  populous  Nineveh  ?  Where  is  Chaldea, 
the  queen  of  nations  ?  Where  is  the  Grecian  empire, 
once   the  colossus  of  the  world  ?     Where  is  imperial 


Christ's  second  coming.  205 

Rome?  Gone,  gone,  by  the  power  of  earthly  foes. 
But  behold  the  church  of  Christ  and  of  God,  delivered 
first  from  Egyptian  bondage  by  the  mighty  arm  of 
the  God  of  Jacob,  led  by  miracles  through  the  wilder- 
ness forty  years,  brought  into  the  promised  land,  although 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  her  enemies,  preserved 
as  a  nation  through  the  rise  and  fall  of  mighty  empires, 
and  experiencing  a  reverse  of  fortune  only  when  she 
courted  the  aid  of  worldly  kingdoms,  or  suffering  dimi- 
nution only  when  she  adopted  the  more  popular  worship 
of  heathen  idolatry.  Yet  in  her  lowest  estate,  God  told 
his  servant  the  prophet,  that  "he  had  reserved  seven 
thousand  that  had  not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal."  And 
if  men  would  reason  on  the  subject  of  religion  as  they 
do  on  other  subjects,  there  could  not  be  an  infidel  in  the 
world.  For  nothing  is  or  can  be  more  manifest  than 
the  miraculous  interposition  of  Providence  in  the  preser- 
vation of  his  people  through  the  most  severe  trials,  heav- 
iest afflictions,  and  deadliest  hatred  of  all  men,  that  men 
or  societies  ever  endured. 

Our  present  discourse  will  show  us  the  history  of  the 
church  by  prophecy,  through  the  darkest  age  the  church 
has  ever  been  permitted  to  experience  since  the  days  of 
Abraham. 

I.  I  shall  show  what  we  may  understand  by  "  the 
woman  "  in  our  text. 

II.  I  shall  show  what  we  are  to  understand  by  the 
great  red  dragon  and  beast. 

III.  I  shall  give  the  history  of  the  woman  given  in  the 
chapters  of  our  text. 

IV.  The  time  specified  in  the  text,  1260  days,  their 
beginning  and  end. 

I.  What  may  we  understand  by  ivoman  in  our  text? 

I  answer,  We  must  understand  the  people  of  God,  in 
all  ages  of  the  church,  whether  among  the  Jew  or  Gen- 
tile: she  is  called  a  woman  because  she  is  the  spouse  of 
Christ ;  she  is  likewise  called  a  woman  because  of  her 
dependence  on  Christ  for  all  things.  As  a  man  is  the 
head  of  the  woman,  so  is  Christ  the  head  over  all  things 
to  the  church,  says  the  apostle.  As  the  woman  depends 
on  her  husband  for  a  name,  for  food,  and  for  raiment,  so 
18 


206  LECTURE    X.V 

likewise  the  church  on  Christ,  for  a  name  —  "  And  thou 
shalt  be  called  by  a  new  name,  which  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord  shall  name,"  Isa.  lxii.  2 — 5.  "  And  they  were 
called  Christians  first  at  Antioch."  For  food,  our  text 
says,  "  that  they  should  feed  her  there,"  &c.  The 
prophet  Isaiah  says,  xl.  11,  "  He  shall  feed  his  flock  as  a 
shepherd."  John  vi.  53,  "  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of 
the  Son  of  Man,  and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have  no  life  in 
you."  For  raiment,  the  psalmist,  speaking  of  the  church, 
says,  "She  shall  be  brought  to  the  king-  in  raiment  of 
needlework;  her  clothing  is  wrought  gold."  The  angel 
to  the  seven  churches  says,  "  He  that  overcometh,  the 
same  shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment."  And  again, 
"  I,  John,  saw  the  holy  city,  New  Jerusalem,  coming 
down  from  God,  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride 
adorned  for  her  husband."  This  shows  conclusively 
that  the  people  of  God  are  compared  to  a  woman.  And 
now  let  me  show, 

II.  What  we  may  understand  by  the  great  red  dragon 
and  beast  that  persecuted  the  church,  or  woman  that  fled 
into  the  wilderness. 

The  red  dragon  is  the  same  power  as  Daniel's  fourth 
kingdom,  the  Roman,  for  the  description  is  the  same, 
having  ten  horns  ;  his  character,  too,  is  the  same.  Dan- 
iel says  he  should  break  in  pieces  the  whole  earth,  and 
stamp  the  residue  with  his  feet ;  that  he  should  work 
deceitfully,  &c.  John  says  that  the  dragon  drew  a 
third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  did  cast  them 
to  the  earth,  and  that  he  deceiveth  the  whole  world. 
The  Roman  government,  then,  must  be  the  apocalyptical 
red  dragon  beast,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns. 
The  Roman  power  is  called  red,  either  because  of  their 
persecuting  and  bloody  spirit,  or  on  account  of  their 
emperors  wearing  purple  robes,  when  dressed  in  state ; 
either  might  be  sufficient  to  entitle  them  to  the  appella- 
tion "  red."  "  Dragon  "  is  undoubtedly  given  the  Ro- 
man government  from  the  fact  that  the  Romans  changed 
their  forms  of  government  so  often,  having  seven  dif- 
ferent forms  in  about  five  hundred  years,  and  from  their 
deceitful,  cunning,  intriguing  manner  by  which  they  ob- 
tained power  over  the  nations  around  them,  that  they 


Christ's  second  coming.  207 

were  properly  a  nondescript;  and  could  not  be  described 
by  Daniel  or  John  by  any  thing-  seen  on  earth  j  and 
therefore  they  took  one  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  bot- 
tomless pit,  "  the  dragon,"  to  describe  to  us  by  figure 
this  dreadful,  persecuting,  and  bloody  power.  The  red 
dragon  is,  therefore,  used  as  a  figure  to  denote  Pagan 
Rome,  and  the  woman  sitting  on  the  scarlet-colored  beast 
to  denote  the  church  of  Rome,  or  Papal  Rome  ;  and  both 
together,  civil  and  Papal,  make  the  anti-Christian  abom- 
ination, which  would  drive  the  church  of  Christ  into  the 
wilderness,  where  she  would  be  fed  1260  days,  or  time, 
times,  and  half  a  time.     I  shall, 

IIT.  Give  the  history  of  the  woman,  as  in  the  twelfth 
chapter  of  Revelation. 

Verse  1,  "  And  there  appeared  a  great  wonder  in 
heaven," — John  saw  this  wonderful  sight  as  transpiring 
under  the  gospel  day,  or  government  of  God,  with  his 
people  in  the  gospel,  the  circle  in  which  the  church 
moves,  here  called  heaven,  —  "a  woman  clothed  with 
the  sun,"  the  church  adorned  with  gospel  light ;  as 
the  natural  sun  gives  light  to  the  world,  so  does  the 
gospel  the  church,  —  "and  the  moon  under  her  feet." 
This  shows  us  that  John  had  a  view  of  the  church  while 
it  was  in  its  Jewish  state.  For  the  moon  represents  the 
ceremonial  law,  which  was  typical  of  the  gospel,  like 
the  moon  shining  in  a  borrowed  light,  and  liable  to 
change  when  the  Shiloh  should  come.  "Under  her 
feet,"  shows  that  she  walked  or  stood  on  the  ordinances 
of  God's  house,  which,  like  the  moon,  pointed  to  the 
sun  both  before  and  after  Christ.  "  And  upon  her  head 
a  crown  of  twelve  stars,"  —  first  the  twelve  patriarchs, 
afterwards  the  twelve  apostles,  Eph.  ii.  20.  Like  stars 
they  are  smaller  lights  in  the  government  of  God,  and 
teachers  under  the  law  and  gospel. 

Verse  2,  "And  she,  being  with  child,"  —  having  the 
promise  that  the  seed  of  the  woman  should  bruise  the 
serpent's  head,  —  "  cried  travailing  in  birth,"  —  denoting 
prayer  in  faith,  —  "  and  pained  to  be  delivered,"  —  that  is, 
an  anxious  and  deep  longing  for  the  advent  of  the  prom- 
ised Messiah,  when  she  expected  deliverance  from  bon- 
dage, sin,  and  all  her  foes,  Matt.  xiii.  17. 


208  LECTURE    XIV. 

Verse  3,  "  And  there  appeared  another  wonder  in 
heaven,"  —  another  sight  or  view  of  God's  government  of 
the  world  in  connection  with  the  gospel,  —  "  and  behold,  a 
great  red  dragon"  —  a  figurative  representation  of  the 
Roman  kingdom. 

Verse  4,  "  And  his  tail  drew  a  third  part  of  the  stars 
of  heaven,  and  did  cast  them  to  the  earth."  Judea  be- 
came a  Roman  province  before  the  Messiah's  advent, 
which  is  figured  by  the  tail,  and  the  Jews  had  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  been  governed  by  tetrarchs  or  kings  of  the 
Romans'  appointment.  The  Jews  were  governed  by 
three  different  offices,  figuratively  called  stars  —  kings, 
high  priest,  and  sanhedrim,  or  the  seventy  elders.  When, 
therefore,  the  Jews  were  deprived  of  their  right  to  ap- 
point their  own  kings,  one  third  part  of  their  rulers  fell 
to  the  Roman  power,  in  this  passage  called  "  earlli?  — 
"  And  the  dragon  stood  before  the  woman  which  was 
ready  to  be  delivered,"  —  Herod  was  then  king  of  the 
Jews,  at  the  birth  of  Christ,  a  representative  of  the 
Romans,  because  he  was  supported  by  their  authority,  — 
"  for  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born." 
Herod  sought  the  young  child's  life,  to  destroy  him. 
See  Matt  ii.  13. 

Verse  5, "  And  she  brought  forth  a  man  child,"  —  J  esus 
Christ,  born  of  a  virgin.  "  For  unto  us  a  child  is  born, 
unto  us  a  son  is  given,"  &c.  Isa.  ix.  6,  7,  "  Who  was 
to  rule  all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron,"  denoting  the 
power  of  Christ  to  break  in  pieces  and  subdue  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth.  Psalms  ii.  9.  Rev.  xix.  15, — 
"  and  her  child  was  caught  up  to  God  and  his  throne." 
Christ  has  ascended  up  on  high,  and  is  seated  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  Father  until  he  makes  his  enemies  his 
footstool."     See  John  vi.  62.  Eph.  iv.  8—10. 

Verse  6,  "  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness, 
where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God."  The  church 
had  grown  weary  of  the  protection  of  the  Roman  power, 
for  she  found,  by  woful  experience,  that  whenever  she 
placed  herself  under  the  protection  of  this  red  dragon, 
he  destroyed  some  of  her  blessed  privileges,  and  brought 
in  a  flood  of  errors,  which  caused  divisions  and  subdivis- 
ions in  the  church.     The  Jews  had  tried  their  friendship 


Christ's  second  coming.  209 

and  protection  for  more  than  two  hundred  years  before 
and  after  Christ,  and  the  event  proved  the  destruction  of 
their  nation  and  place.  The  Christians,  too,  had  tried 
the  friendship  of  the  same  power,  under  Constantine  and 
succeeding-  emperors,  for  little  more  than  two  hundred 
years,  beginning  A.  D.  313,  and  ending  in  A.  D.  538,  as 
we  shall  show  ;  which  so  corrupted  the  Romish  church 
that  she  became  the  anti-Christian  abomination,  and  the 
true  children  of  God  were  driven  into  the  wilderness  out 
from  her  connection  with  the  anti-Christian  church,  "  the 
city  of  the  nations,"  as  she  is  called.  But  God  took  care 
"  that  they  should  feed  her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred 
and  threescore  days,"  which  is  1260  years,  from  A.  D. 
538  until  1798,  during  which  time  a  free  toleration  of  re- 
ligious rights  were  not  permitted  in  any  of  the  kingdoms 
which  formerly  composed  the  Roman  empire ;  but  God 
raised  up  teachers  among  them,  who  retained  in  a  good 
degree  the  doctrine  and  purity  of  the  word  of  God,  and 
practised  the  ordinances  as  they  were  delivered  to  the 
saints  in  the  apostles'  days :  yet  but  little  is  known  of 
them  for  six  or  seven  hundred  years. 

Verse  7,  "  And  there  was  war  in  heaven."  After  the 
prophet  John  had  given  us  a  history  of  the  church,  as  in 
the  preceding  verses,  he  now  goes  back  to  bring  up  the 
history  of  the  dragon,  the  Roman  kingdom,  and  begins 
his  history  in  the  days  of  Christ  and  his  apostles.  "  Mi- 
chael and  his  angels  fought"  —  Christ  and  his  apostles. 
See  Matt.  x.  34,  "  Think  not  I  am  come  to  send  peace 
on  earth  :  I  came  not  to  send  peace,  but  a  sword  "  — 
"  against  the  dragon,"  against  principalities  and  powers, 
and  wickedness  in  high  places.  — "  And  the  dragon 
fought,  and  his  angels,"  imperial  Rome  and  worldly  men. 

Verse  8,  "And  prevailed  not,  neither  was  their  place 
found  any  more  in  heaven."  Rome  could  not  prevail 
against  the  kingdom  of  Christ  or  the  gospel ;  for  it  differed 
materially  from  the  Jewish  mode  of  worship ;  and  al- 
though Rome  in  her  Pagan  state  could  find  easy  access 
into  the  Jewish  sanctuary,  because  of  the  similarity  of 
their  worship,  yet  when  Christ  set  up  his  gospel  kingdom 
they  were  excluded,  for  none  could  enter  this  kingdom 
without  regeneration,  faith,  and  repentance. 
18* 


210  LECTURE    XIV. 

Verse  9, "  And  the  great  dragon  was  cast  out," —  Rome 
Pagan  was  deprived  from  having  any  authority  in  the 
gomel  kingdom,  as  Christ  says  in  John  xii.  31,  "  Now 
shall  the  prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out  "  —  "  that  old 
serpent," —  Rome  Pagan  is  compared  to  the  old  serpent 
because  he  works  deceitfully  and  deceives  the  church, 
{ivoman,)  as  the  serpent  did  Eve,  the  woman  in  the  gar- 
den, —  "  called  the  devil,"  because  they  devour  and  per- 
secute with  a  devilish  spirit,  —  "-and  Satan,"  because 
satan-like  he  claims  power  over  all  kingdoms  of  the 
world  — "which  deceiveth  the  whole  world."  —  This 
may  be  said  of  Rome,  for  she  conquered  more  nations 
by  deceit  and  flattery  than  by  fair  warfare.  —  u  He  was 
cast  out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast  out 
i,vith  him."  This  was  literally  fulfilled  when  Christ  cut 
off  the  Jews  and  all  unbelievers  ;  when  he  said,  "  My 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world  ; "  when  he  excluded  the 
kingdoms  of  this  earth  from  participating  in  the  spiritual 
kingdom  which  they  claimed  on  account  of  their  author- 
ity among  men. 

Verse  10,  "  And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  saying  in  heav- 
en,"—  many  voices  in  the  church  under  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation,—  "Now is  come  salvation,  and  strength,  and 
the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ."  — 
This  represents  the  grand  chorus  of  all  the  saints,  when 
they  discover  the  true  principle  on  which  the  kingdom 
of  God  is  built.  This  was  literally  true  at  theE,  day  of 
Pentecost  —  "  For  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  cast 
down,  which  accused  them  before  our  God  night  and 
day."  The  Romans  had,  by  drawing  the  Jews  into 
idolatry,  caused  them  to  sin  against  God  in  all  their 
evening  and  morning  sacrifices.  And  by  these  means, 
they  were  accused  before  God,  that  is,  God  was  angry 
with,  them,  and  destroyed  our  brethren,  the  Jews. 

Verse  11,  "And  they  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb,"  —  by  the  blood  of  atonement,  all  believers  in 
Christ  do  finally  overcome  the  powers  of  darkness  and 
princes  of  this  world,  — ■ "  and  by  the  word  of  their  testi- 
mony," —  preaching  and  testimony  of  the  apostles.  — 
"And  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto  the  death"  — 


Christ's  second  coming.  211 

suffered  martyrdom.  This  was  fulfilled  in  the  death  of 
the  apostles  and  others. 

Verse  12,  "  Therefore  rejoice  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that 
dwell  in  them."  It  was  a  matter  of  great  joy  among  the 
primitive  Christians,  to  be  counted  worthy  to  suffer  per- 
secution for  Christ's  sake.  "  Woe  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth,"  —  those  who  live  under  the  Roman  govern- 
ment,—  "  and  of  the  sea,"  —  meaning  the  principal  king- 
dom among  the  ten  kingdoms.  France  is  generally 
meant  by  sea  in  this  prophecy.  "  For  the  devil  is  come 
down  unto  you,  having  great  wrath,  because  he  knoweth 
that  he  hath  but  a  short  time."  The  devil  means 
destroyer,  and  the  three  woes,  and  seven  last  plagues, 
were  all  to  be  sent  upon  the  earth  and  sea,  which  denote 
wars,  revolutions,  and  changing  of  governments.  These 
things  would  prevail  in  the  close  of  this  Roman  king- 
dom, and  war  would  be  the  closing  up  of  the  earthly 
scene  of  this  fourth  kingdom  which  Daniel  saw  and 
John  has  been  describing  under  the  figure  of  the  "  great 
red  dragon." 

Verse  13,  "  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was 
cast  unto  the  earth,"  —  when  the  Roman  government 
saw  they  could  have  no  control  in  the  things  of  Christ's 
kingdom,  they  hated  the  church  and  the  doctrine  that 
taught  that  Christ's  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world,  and 
they  "  persecuted  the  woman  that  brought  forth  the  man 
child,"  which  is  the  church  that  had  a  Savior  born  unto 
her,  Christ  Jesus,  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory. 

Verse  14,  "And  to  the  woman  was  given  two  wings 
of  a  great  eagle,"  —  by  which  wings  I  understand  the 
means  God  used  between  the  Arian  and  Papal  contro- 
versy, at  the  time  of  the  division  of  the  Greek  or  eastern 
church  from  the  west  or  Roman  church,  which  happened 
in  the  reign  of  Justinian,  emperor  of  the  east,  about  A. 
D.  538,  when  the  controversy  arose  concerning  the 
worshipping  of  departed  saints,  images,  and  the  infallibil- 
ity of  the  church  at  Rome.  In  this  controversy,  many 
privately  withdrew  themselves,  and  settled  in  the  north- 
west part  of  Asia  and  in  the  north-east  part  of  Europe, 
and  after  a  number  of  years  colonies  were  sent  by  them 


212  LECTURE    XIV. 

into  Piedmont  and  valleys  of  the  Alps,  where  it  is 
supposed  the  true  worship  of  God  was  retained  during 
the  dark  ages  of  Papal  ignorance,  bigotry,  and  super- 
stition. (See  Milners  Church  History,  and  Benedict's 
History  of  the  Baptists.) — "that  she  might  fly  into  the 
wilderness,  into  her  place,"  —  a  separation  from  the 
world,  as  says  the  voice  from  heaven,  "  Come  out  of  her, 
my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that 
ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues,"  Rev.  xviii.  4.  —  "  where 
she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  times,  and  half  a  time,"  —  fed 
and  nourished  by  the  spirit  and  word  of  God  1260  years, 
"from  the  face  of  the  serpent" — from  the  knowledge 
of  Papal  Rome. 

Verse  15,  "  And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his  mouth  wa- 
ters as  a  flood  after  the  woman," — -ivaters,  in  prophecy, 
means  people,  Rev.  xvii.  15.  Therefore  I  understand 
this  prophecy  to  have  been  fulfilled  when  the  Pope,  the 
head  of  Papal  Rome,  sent  forth  his  armies  and  inquisition 
to  subdue  the  heretics,  as  he  called  them,  who  dwelt  in 
the  valleys  of  the  Alps,  which  was  about  the  beginning 
of  the  thirteenth  century,  —  "  that  he  might  cause  her  to 
be  carried  away  of  the  flood"  —  exterminated  and  de- 
stroyed by  his  armies  and  inquisition. 

Verse  16,  "  And  the  earth  helped  the  woman,  and  the 
earth  opened  her  mouth  and  swallowed  up  the  flood 
which  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth."  This  verse 
was  fulfilled  in  the  wars  which  followed  the  above- 
mentioned  time  of  persecution,  in  which  the  Gel-man 
princes  helped  their  subjects  against  the  armies  of  the 
Pope,  and  destroyed  and  swallowed  up  many  of  the  Pa- 
pal armies,  from  the  thirteenth  to  the  fifteenth  century. 
Or,  as  some  authors  have  supposed,  the  waters  which 
the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth  was  the  flood  of 
errors  which  arose  about  the  time  of  the  French  revolu- 
tion, under  the  name  of  Deism,  which  was  calculated  to 
destroy  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel,  as  they  vainly 
supposed,  backed  up  by  the  republican  armies  of  France, 
and  afterwards  by  the  power  of  Bonaparte,  who  was 
finally  subdued  by  the  combinations  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth.     But,  as  this  transaction  seems  to  me  to  be  too 


Christ's  second  coming.  213 

late  to  affect  the  woman  in  her  exiled  state,  I  have  in- 
clined, in  my  humble  opinion,  to  my  first  exposition  of 
these  texts. 

Verse  17,  "  And  the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the  wo- 
man," —  Papal  Rome  was  angry  with  the  true  church,  — 
"  and  went  to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed." 
This  war  has  not  yet  come  ;  for  it  is  evident  by  the  ex- 
pression "  remnant  of  her  seed,"  that  it  means  the  last  of 
the  church  "  who  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and 
have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ."  This  is  the  last 
struggle  of  this  anti- Christian  beast,  and  is  described  in. 
many  places  as  the  last  great  battle,  or  the  supper  of  the 
great  God.  Such  expressions  as  "  and  went,"  as  though 
this  power  would  go  to  some  place  out  of  their  own 
territory,  and  "  the  kings  of  the  east  might  be  prepared," 
show  that  they  will  go  west  I  am,  therefore,  con- 
strained to  believe  that  this  battle  of  the  dragon's  last 
power  will  be  in  America;  and  if  so,  it  must  be  mainly 
in  these  United  States.  It  will  be  a  battle  on  political 
principles,  as  we  may  learn  by  the  passage  in  Rev.  xvi. 
13 — 16,  "And  I  saw  three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs 
come  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false 
prophet ; "  —  the  "  unclean  spirits  "  shows  that  it  is  politi- 
cal principles;  and,  like  the  frogs  in  Egypt,  it  will  per- 
vade all  the  departments  of  life  —  the  social,  civil,  and 
religious.  By  "  dragon,"  we  must  understand  the  kings 
of  the  earth ;  by  the  "  beast,"  Papal  principles,  or  the 
church  of  Rome ;  by  the  "  false  prophet,"  Mahometan 
power  ;  —  "  for  they  are  the  spirit  of  devils,  working  mira- 
cles,"—  that  is,  spirit  of  deceit,  separating  friends,  divi- 
ding kingdoms,  states,  societies,  churches,  and  families, 
and  crumbling  every  man-made  institution,  and  levelling 
to  the  dust  all  law,  order,  and  bond  of  union,  which  the 
wisdom  of  man  may  have  invented,  —  "  which  go  forth 
unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole  world." 
This  shows  the  universal  spread  of  this  fanatical  spirit 
of  disorganization,  and  it  will  finally  lead  to  "  gather 
them  to  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God  Almighty." 
"Behold,  I  am  come  as  a  thief.  Blessed  is  he  that 
watcheth  and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked 


214  LECTURE    XIV. 

and  tney  see  his  shame."  We  are  here  notified  that 
nis  coming  will  be  like  a  thief  to  those  who  are  engaged 
in  this  political  warfare,  and  in  those  popular  and  men- 
made  societies  of  the  day ;  and  we  are  told  that  those 
will  be  blessed  who  watch,  that  is,  for  his  coming,  and 
the  signs  of  the  times,  and  that  keepeth  his  garments 
unspotted  from  these  worldly  institutions,  which  engen- 
der strife  and  animosity  among  brethren.  Be  warned, 
dear  Christian,  "  enter  into  thy  chamber,  and  hide  thy- 
self for  a  little  moment,  until  the  indignation  be  over 
and  past,  that  ye  need  not  be  ashamed  before  him  at  his 
coming."  It  will  also  be  a  battle  of  religious  principles, 
as  is  evident  by  the  following  scripture,  Rev.  xix.  11 — 16, 
u  And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  behold,  a  white  horse ; 
and  he  that  sat  upon  him  was  called  Faithful  and  True, 
and  in  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make  war.  His 
eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his  head  were  many 
crowns ;  and  he  had  a  name  written  that  no  man  knew 
but  he  himself,  and  he  was  clothed  with  a  vesture 
dipped  in  blood  ;  and  his  name  is  called  The  Word  of 
God.  And  the  armies  which  were  in  heaven  followed 
him  upon  white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and 
clean.  And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  sword,  that 
with  it  he  should  smite  the  nations ;  and  he  shall  rule 
them  with  a  rod  of  iron ;  and  he  treadeth  the  wine-press 
of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almighty  God."  This 
passage  proves  that  there  will  be  at  the  close  of  this  dis- 
pensation, immediately  preceding  the  marriage  of  the 
Lamb  to  his  bride,  a  great  and  last  struggle  between 
error  and  truth,  between  infidelity  and  the  word  of  God. 
And  you  may  inquire,  perhaps,  and  with  propriety  too, 
How  shall  we  know  on  which  side  we  are  engaged  in 
this  great  war  of  principle  ?  I  answer,  "  In  righteous- 
ness," he  doth  make  war.  But,  say  you,  we  are  so  prone 
to  follow  tradition  or  prepossessed  notions,  and  think  we 
are  right,  that,  like  Paul,  we  may  be  found  at  last  fighting 
against  God.  You  must  see  to  it,  that  you  are  "  faithful 
and  true,"  have  faith  in  his  name,  "  and  his  name  is  The 
Word  of  God."  This  is  your  only  rule  —  The  Word  of 
God.  Be  careful;  lay  yourselves  on  this  word.  Try 
yourselves  by  this  standard.    If  your  life,  faith,  experi 


Christ's  second  coming.  215 

ence,  and  hope,  are  built  on  this  foundation,  you  can 
never  fail ;  for  he  that  is  The  Word  of  God,  is  «  KING 
OF  KINGS,  AND  LORD  OF  LORDS."  Again:  it 
is  to  be  a  literal  battle  with  the  sword,  for  Christ  says, 
"  He  that  taketh  the  sword  shall  die  by  the  sword." 
And  king-s,  Papal  Rome,  and  the  Mahometans,  have 
ruled  the  world  by  the  sword,  and  their  swords,  during 
all  the  days  of  their  power,  have  been  red  with  the  blood 
of  their  subjects,  and  the  innocent  victims  of  their  hate. 
And  in  Rev.  xix.  17 — 20,  it  is  evident,  by  the  "fowls" 
spoken  of  in  the  17th  verse,  is  meant,  warriors  in  favor 
of  liberty  who  are  to  "  eat  (destroy)  the  flesh  (strength  or 
power)  of  kings,  and  the  flesh  of  captains,  and  the  flesh 
of  mighty  men,  and  the  flesh  of  horses,  and  them  that  sit 
on  them,  (armies  are  undoubtedly  meant  in  this  passage,) 
and  the  flesh  of  all  men,"  who  are  engaged  in  favor  of 
kings,  papal  Rome,  or  false  prophet,  "  both  free  and  bond, 
both  small  and  great."  "  And  I  saw  the  beast  and  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  and  their  armies,  gathered  together 
to  make  war  against  him  that  sat  on  the  horse,  and 
against  his  army."  "  And  he  gathered  them  together 
into  a  place  called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  Armageddon," 
(awake  to  the  spoil,)  Rev.  xvi.  16 — 21. 

These  will  be  the  means  the  dragon  will  use  in  his 
last  great  struggle  to  gain  ascendency  over  the  minds, 
consciences,  and  bodies  of  men.  He  will  fan  up  their 
political  animosities ;  he  will  stir  up  strife  and  division 
among  religious  communities  ;  and,  last  of  all,  and  not 
least,  he  will  encourage  an  intolerable  thirst  for  blood. 
In  which  battle  Christ  will  come,  chain  the  dragon,  give 
his  body  to  the  burning  flame,  confine  the  spirits  of  all 
who  worship  the  dragon,  beast  or  false  prophet,  in  the 
pit  of  woe ;  raise  the  saints,  purify,  cleanse,  and  glorify 
them  with  his  own  glory. 

IV.  We  are  to  speak  of  the  time  the  saints,  or  church, 
were  to  be  in  the  wilderness,  "  one  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  threescore  days."  I  believe  all  commenta- 
tors agree  that  these  days  are  to  be  understood  years; 
and,  as  I  have  proved  this  point  in  a  former  lecture,  I 
need  not  stop  to  argue  this  given  principle  at  this  time, 
out  will  proceed  to  give  some  proof  when  this  time  be- 


216  LECTURE    XIV. 

gan  and  when  it  ended.  The  time  given  in  our  text  is 
the  same  length  of  time  as  given  by  Daniel  for  the  reign 
of  the  little  horn.  See  Daniel  vii.  25.  It  is,  also,  the 
same  time  John  has  given  for  the  image  beast  to  have 
power  "  to  continue  forty  and  two  months."  Thirty  days 
to  a  month  is  1260  days,  Rev.  xiii.  5.  It  is,  also,  the 
same  length  of  time  that  was  given  the  Gentiles  to  tread 
the  holy  city  under  foot.  See  Rev.  xi.  2.  Also  for  the 
witnesses  to  prophesy,  clothed  in  sackcloth.  Rev.  xi.  3. 
And  there  can  hardly  be  a  shadow  of  a  doubt  but  that 
all  these  times  had  their  beginning  and  ending  at  one 
and  the  same  time.  If  so,  then  the  arguments  used  here- 
tofore may  have  their  proper  bearing  in  this  place. 

But  let  us  consider  a  few  things  in  addition  to  our 
former  reasons.  1st.  What  may  we  understand  by  the 
woman  "  fleeing  into  the  wilderness,"  and  "from  the  face 
of  the  serpent."  We  must  consider  it  in  a  state  of  ob- 
scurity ;  this  was  true  in  the  time  we  have  stated,  A.  D. 
538.  Historians  tell  us  but  little  about  any  regular 
church  but  the  Roman  church,  and  this  has  never  been 
in  an  obscure  state  ;  of  course  the  Roman  is  not  the 
church  in  the  wilderness.  But  they  do  tell  us  that,  in 
the  days  of  Justinian,  emperor  of  Constantinople,  there 
were  many  schismatics,  as  they  were  called,  who  opposed 
the  power  of  the  bishop  or  pope  of  Rome,  and  doings  of 
councils  in  the  east  and  west,  and  a  large  share  of  the  lat- 
ter part  of  Justinian's  life  was  spent  in  religious  broils 
and  expelling  from  his  kingdom  these  schismatics  ;  and 
the  code  of  laws  which  he  published  about  A.  D.  533, 
forbade  any  Christians  any  rights  or  privileges  as  citizens 
in  his  empire  who  would  not  acknowledge  the  bishop  of 
Rome  as  head.  And  in  these  laws  he  gave  the  bishop 
power  to  hold  courts  and  try  all  matters  of  faith  within 
his  kingdom.  These,  and  other  things  of  like  import, 
drove  all  true  followers  of  the  word  of  God  to  seek  a 
rest  out  of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  city  of  nations ;  and, 
of  course,  became  outlaws  to  the  Roman  government. 
Then,  if  we  fix  the  beginning  of  the  exile  of  the  church 
at  the  same  time  of  setting  up  anti-Christ,  A.  D.  538, 
then  the  church  was  in  its  exiled  state  until  A.  D.  1798, 
which  would  be  the  1260  years.     It  is  here  worthy  of 


Christ's  second  coming.  217 

remark,  that  the  code  of  laws  passed  by  Justinian  were 
in  full  force  in  the  kingdoms  belonging  to,  or  under  the 
control  of,  the  pope  of  Rome,  respecting  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  those  who  might  differ  from  the  Catholic 
faith,  until  the  French  took  Rome,  in  1798,  and  declared 
Italy  a  republic ;  when  free  toleration  was  given  for  any 
religious  opinion  or  privilege  whatsoever.  Here,  then, 
the  church,  in  whatever  form  she  might  appear,  was  per- 
mitted to  enjoy  the  rights  and  privileges  of  citizens,  and 
to  worship  God  as  their  conscience  might  dictate.  This 
is  the  first  time,  during  the  1260  years,  that  free  tolera- 
tion of  religion  was  granted  in  any  kingdom  where  the 
Catholic  church  had  power ;  and,  although  Catholic 
princes  and  popes  have  since  had  rule  in  Italy  and 
France,  yet  they  have  never  dared,  as  yet,  to  pursue 
their  former  intolerant  course  of  conduct  towards  Prot- 
estants. And  it  is  very  evident,  my  dear  friends,  that 
the  church  is  now  out  of  the  wilderness  ;  that  is,  if  she 
ever  was ;  for  there  never  has  been  a  time  since  the 
days  of  the  apostles,  no,  nor  even  then,  that  the  church, 
in  all  its  several  branches,  has  enjoyed  greater  privileges 
than  for  nearly  forty  years  past  She  has  spread  her 
wings  over  every  land,  and  carried  the  news  of  salvation 
into  every  language  on  the  known  world.  Her  reapers 
have  followed  the  sowers  of  seed,  and  there  is  handsfull 
of  corn  in  the  tops  of  all  the  mountains  ;  but  the  harvest 
is  short.  The  church  has  had  rest  as  long  as  she  has 
ever  had  since  Christ  left  her  and  ascended  to  his  Fa- 
ther. The  dragon  begins  to  show  his  anger ;  the  trum- 
pet begins  to  sound  to  the  onset ;  the  armies  of  the 
beast  begin  to  muster  for  the  battle,  they  are  furbishing 
their  swords  for  the  slaughter ;  the  kings  of  the  earth 
are  combining  against  the  freedom  of  their  subjects; 
the  great  men  and  nobles  are  riveting  closer  the  chains 
of  their  vassals ;  tyrants  are  braiding  in  firmer  knots 
their  scorpion  whips  for  their  slaves ;  expediency  has 
taken  the  room  of  moral  law,  and  anarchy  has  crowded 
order  from  his  seat ;  mobs  have  taken  the  place  of  judges, 
and  law  is  popular  will ;  the  liberty  of  the  press  is  but 
the  nod  of  demagogues,  and  the  freedom  of  speech  is 
19 


218  LECTURE    XIV. 

called  fanaticism.  Division  seems  to  be  the  order  of 
the  day,  and  our  valuable  institutions  are  tottering  to 
their  base.  Be  warned,  then,  O  my  friends,  to  seek 
safety  under  the  banner  of  the  gospel  before  the  armies 
are  rilled  up.  "And  the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the 
woman,  and  went  to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her 
seed  which  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and  have 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ."  "  The  spirit  of  proph- 
ecy " 


LECTURE    XV. 


REV.  xvi.  17. 


And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air  ;  and  there 
came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  from  the  throne, 
saying,  It  is  done. 

This  text  is  the  account  we  have  in  the  word  of  God 
of  the  last  plague  that  will  ever  visit  our  world,  or  the 
inhabitants  who  hereafter  will  be  permitted  to  dwell 
thereon.  That  is  evident,  because  it  is  the  seventh  of 
the  last  seven.  For  John  says,  Rev.  xv.  1,  "  And  I  saw 
another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and  marvellous,  seven  an- 
gels having  the  seven  last  plagues ;  for  in  them  is  filled 
up  the  wrath  of  God."  And  the  wrath  of  God  is  filled 
up,  that  is,  the  cup  of  God's  wrath  of  which  he  will  make 
all  nations  drink ;  and  he  will  give  unto  Babylon  "  the 
cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath." 

Then  it  cannot  be  uninteresting  to  those  who  wish  or 
who  may  desire  to  learn  where  and  when  the  last  plagues 
have  been  poured  out,  and  how  many  yet  remain  for  us 
to  experience.  These  seven  last  plagues  have  had  their 
shadows  in  the  plagues  which  God  sent  on  slave-holding 
Egypt,  when  he  delivered  his  people,  the  Jews,  from  their 
Egyptian  bondage,  the  least  of  which  plagues  destroyed 
Pharaoh  and  his  host,  just  in  the  moment  when  Israel 
were  shouting  deliverance  on  the  banks  of  the  Red  Sea. 
So  likewise,  in  the  seven  last  plagues,  they  are  poured 
out  upon  spiritual  Egypt,  slave-holding  Babylon,  who 
has  enslaved  the  people  of  God  for  centuries,  and  has 
trafficked  in  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men.     She,  like 


220  LECTURE    XV. 

Egypt,  has  appointed  task-masters  over  the  church,  and 
has  endeavored  to  strangle  her  children  in  the  birth. 
She  has  commanded  the  kings  and  rulers  of  the  earth  to 
destroy  the  children  of  the  church,  as  did  the  Egyptians 
the  Hebrew  midwives ;  but  the  church  has  found  favor 
in  the  eyes  of  some  of  the  kings  and  princes  of  the  earth, 
and  the  earth  has  helped  the  woman,  and  her  children 
are  not  all  dead.  And  their  cry  has  gone  up  to  the  Lord 
of  Sabaoth,  and  he  has  come  down  in  these  seven  last 
plagues  to  deliver  his  people  from  the  hand  of  the  spoiler, 
and  from  the  power  of  the  beast,  the  anti- Christian 
abomination ;  and  when  this  last  vial  is  poured  into  the 
air,  all  the  doctrines  of  men  and  devils,  and  all  the  the- 
ories of  men  and  the  wisdom  of  this  world  will  be  con- 
founded and  brought  to  nought.  The  Lord  will  over- 
whelm with  the  red  and  fiery  wrath  of  his  last  judgment 
the  kings  of  the  earth,  the  beast  or  Catholic  church  of 
abomination,  the  false  prophet  and  all  his  followers,  the 
great  men  of  the  earth,  mighty  men  and  captains,  ty- 
rants, slave-holders,  rich  and  poor,  bond  and  free:  all 
who  have  worshipped  the  beast  or  his  image,  will,  like 
the  host  of  Pharaoh,  be  destroyed  in  the  general  confla- 
gration of  the  world,  and  the  saints  will  shout  deliver- 
ance in  the  New  Jerusalem  state.     I  shall,  therefore, 

I.  Give  the  history  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  or  the 
seven  vials  of  wrath. 

II.  Show  what  may  be  understood  by  "  It  is  done." 

I.  Then  we  are  to  give  the  history  of  the  seven  vials 
or  last  plagues ;  and  for  this  purpose  we  must  give  a  com- 
ment on  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  Revelation.  Verse  1, 
u  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  saying  to 
the  seven  angels,  Go  your  ways,  and  pour  out  the  vials 
of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  earth."  This  verse  shows 
us  that  these  plagues  are  poured  upon  the  earth  at  the 
command  of  him  who  sits  in  the  temple  of  God.  Verse 
2,  "  And  the  first  went,  and  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
earth;  and  there  fell  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon 
the  men  which  had  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  upon  them 
which  worshipped  his  image."  This  first  vial  was  poured 
upon  the  earth,  meaning  the  kingdom  of  the  beast  or  the 
Roman  government.     A  noisome,  a  grievous  sore,  indi- 


Christ's  second  coming.  221 

cates  the  dissolution  of  the  body  afflicted,  and  that  the 
constitution  is  laboring  under  some  inward  disease,  or 
affected  by  contagion  from  without.  It  is  therefore  a  fit 
emblem  to  represent  the  exposure  of  the  corruptions  of 
the  church  of  Rome,  and  breaking  out  of  those  loath- 
some diseases  of  internal  abominations  which  had  been 
hid  for  ages  from  the  world  by  the  cunning  craftiness 
of  this  Papal  beast.  The  men  spoken  of  in  this  passage 
are  those  who  worship  the  beast,  and  who  are  the  pro- 
fessed followers  of  this  corrupt  society,  and  all  who  live 
under  the  influence  and  control  of  the  idolatrous  city  of 
nations,  and  who  traffic  in  her  indulgences  and  abomi- 
nable practices.  This  vial  then  began  to  be  poured  out 
when  the  Protestants  first  published  to  the  world  the 
corruptions  and  abominable  practices  of  the  church  of 
Rome,  when  the  world  began  to  see  the  noisome  and 
grievous  sores  that  covered  the  men  who  pretended  to 
preach  or  proclaim  the  doctrine,  laws,  or  commands  of 
this  beast.  And  of  course  this  plague  was  sent  on  the 
Romish  church  about  the  year  A.  D.  1529,  under  the 
preaching  of  Luther,  Calvin,  and  others  who  opposed  and 
exposed  the  corruptions  of  the  church  of  Rome. 

Verse  3,  "  And  the  second  angel  poured  out  his  vial 
upon  the  sea,  and  it  became  as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man ; 
and  every  living  soul  died  in  the  sea."  The  sea,  in 
prophetic  language,  is  the  centre  of  some  great  nation, 
or  society  of  men,  as  in  a  restless  and  turbulent  state ; 
and  the  things  living  in  the  sea,  are  the  persons  living 
under  the  power  or  control  of  this  nation,  or  society. 
Living  soul  denotes  those  persons  who  have  been  born 
of  the  Spirit,  and  are  in  possession  of  that  living  faith 
in  God,  and  love  for  all  men.  "  As  the  blood  of  a  dead 
man."  There  is  something  very  striking  in  this  figure  — 
not  an  ordinary  figure  of  blood,  which  denotes  war  and 
mortal  controversy,  but  cold,  congealed  blood  ;  the  blood 
of  a  dead  man  denoting  a  massacre  in  cool  blood,  with- 
out any  resistance  on  the  part  of  those  murdered.  This 
vial  was,  then,  poured  out  in  France,  the  principal  king- 
dom in  the  Roman  ten  horns,  in  the  year  A.  D.  1572,  at 
the  massacre  of  the  Huguenots  on  St.  Bartholomew's 
eve,  when  50,000  were  slain  in  one  night,  and  the  streets 
19* 


222  LECTURE    XV. 

ran  blood,  as  Sully  tells  us,  in  some  places  ankle  deep, 
in  the  city  of  Paris.  This  massacre  was  in  cold  blood ; 
for  the  same  historian  tells  us,  that  the  king  stood  in  hk 
balcony,  and  shot  down  his  naked  and  defenceless  sub- 
jects as  they  were  fleeing'  through  the  streets*  This 
happened  in  France,  the  stoutest  of  the  Papal  horns  — ■ 
the  chief  instrument  in  establishing,  building  up,  and 
supporting  that  cruel,  murderous  power  of  Papacy. 

Verse  4,  "  And  the  third  angel  poured  out  his  vial  up- 
on the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters,  and  they  became 
blood."  By  "  rivers  and  fountains  of  water,"  I  under- 
stand the  nations  and  states  who  live  around  the  centre, 
or  sea,  as  it  was  called  in  the  preceding  vial.  By  "  blood," 
I  understand  destructive  war,  "  And  I  heard  the  angel 
of  the  waters  say,  Thou  art  righteous,  O  Lord,  which 
art,  and  wast,  and  shalt  be,  because  thou  hast  judged 
thus.  For  they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and 
prophets,  and  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink,  for 
they  are  worthy.  And  I  heard  another  out  of  the  altar 
say,  Even  so,  Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righteous 
are  thy  judgments."  In  these  verses  we  have  the  rea- 
sons given,  why  they  were  visited  with  this  scourge  of 
war,  because,  in  the  preceding  vial,  they  had  shed  the 
blood  of  saints ;  which  proves  that  the  exposition  of  that 
vial,  which  I  have  already  given,  is  correct,  This  vial, 
then,  was  poured  out  upon  the  nations  that  had  given 
their  strength  and  their  power  to  the  beast ;  and  the 
governments  were  filled  with  war  and  blood.  This  vial 
was  poured  out  about  A.  D.  1630,  and  lasted  nearly  fifty 
years.  Spain  and  Portugal  carried  on  a  bloody  and  de- 
structive war  for  more  than  thirty  years  of  this  time. 
France  was  torn  by  civil  and  intestine  wars  during  a 
long  period.  The  civil  wars  in  England  began  under 
king  Charles  L,  1642,  which  lasted  with  but  little  cessa- 
tion, until  king  George  I.  ascended  the  throne,  in  1714. 
Germany  was  filled  with  blood,  between  the  contentions 
of  the  Evangelical  league  and  Catholic  league,  "  which 
gave  rise  to  a  ruinous  war,  which  lasted  thirty  years." 
See  Guthrie,  vol.  i.,  page  443.  This  war  was  headed,  on 
the  part  of  the  Protestants,  by  Gustavus  Adolphus,  king 
of  Sweden,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Lutzen,  A, 


D.  1632,  which  war  lasted  until  the  peace  of  Minister 
1648.  The  other  kingdoms  of  the  ancient  empire  of 
Rome  were  more  or  less  drenched  in  blood,  and  civil 
wars,  on  account  of  their  religious  tenets,  and  conten- 
tion of  their  rulers  and  sovereign  princes.  These  were 
the  heavy  judgments  which  God  saw  fit  to  inflict  upon 
the  kingdoms  and  states  of  the  church  of  Rome,  for  the 
innocent  blood  which  she  had  shed  of  the  Protestants 
who  had  protested  against  her  cruel  and  blasphemous 
practices.  "  For  they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and 
prophets,  and  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink,  for 
they  are  worthy."  "  And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his 
vial  upon  the  sun,  and  power  was  given  unto  him  to 
scorch  men  with  fire.  And  men  were  scorched  Avith 
great  heat,  and  blasphemed  the  name  of  God,  which  hath 
power  over  these  plagues  ;  and  they  repented  not  to  give 
him  glory."  The  sun  is  the  great  source  of  light  and 
heat,  and,  in  prophetic  language,  is  an  emblem  of  the 
gospel,  as  explained  in  the  19th  Psalm,  4 — 10.  "  Their 
line  has  gone  out  through  all  the  earth,  and  their  words 
to  the  end  of  the  world.  In  them  hath  he  set  a  taberna- 
cle for  the  sun,"  &c.  To  "  scorch  men  "  with  fire,  signifies 
to  make  men  angry  ;  "  great  heat,"  uncommonly  angry, 
vengeful,  malicious.  This  vial  was  poured  out  in  the 
last  century,  when  the  gospel  was  proclaimed  in  these 
kingdoms  of  the  beast.  Now,  during  the  greater  part 
of  the  last  century,  and  in  all  the  kingdoms  where  the 
gospel  was  preached,  there  were  manifested  insidious 
attempts  and  a  systematic  opposition  against  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ,  or  the  Holy  Scriptures.  This  opposi- 
tion was  headed  by  Frederick,  king  of  Prussia,  and  aided 
by  all  the  wits,  men  of  genius  and  learning,  as  they 
boasted,  of  all  Europe  and  America ;  and  in  their  secret 
assemblies,  or  clubs,  they  went  so  far  as  to  calculate 
about  what  length  of  time  it  would  take  for  them  to  de- 
stroy and  exterminate  the  religion  of  the  "  Galilean  and 
his  twelve  fishermen  ;  "  and  no  writers  that  ever  wrote 
took  such  unwearied  pains,  showed  so  much  virulence 
and  anger,  blasphemed  the  name  of  God  to  such  a  de- 
gree, as  these  writers  ;  and  none,  either  before  or  since3 
have  ever  dared  to  exhibit  the  like.     "  And  they  re- 


224  LECTURE    XV. 

pented  not  to  give  him  the  glory."  I  believe  it  is  not 
known,  that  any  of  these  principal  deistical  writers  were 
converted  to  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  before  their  death, 
to  give  God  the  glory.  Yet  I  think  we  have  some  ac- 
count of  many  of  them  dying  in  horror,  at  the  frightful 
view  of  the  future,  in  consequence  of  their  blasphemous 
lives  against  the  majesty  of  the  King  of  kings.  There- 
fore, in  the  history  of  the  Deists  in  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, we  have ..the  history  of  the  plague  of  the  fourth 
vial.  "  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
seat  of  the  beast ;  and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness, 
and  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  and  blasphemed 
the  God  of  heaven,  because  of  their  pains  and  their 
sores,  and  repented  not  of  their  deeds."  "  The  seat  of 
the  beast"  must  mean  those  ten  kingdoms  on  which  the 
woman  sitteth,  which  is  ancient  Rome.  "  Full  of  dark- 
ness "  must  mean  full  of  wickedness,  confusion,  and 
every  evil  work.  "  Gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain " 
shows  shame,  disgrace,  and  disappointment.  This  vial 
was  poured  out  in  the  French  revolution,  about  1798. 
When  Bonaparte  began  his  extraordinary  career,  exalted 
to  the  pinnacle  of  power,  he  dethrones  the  pope,  (whose 
power  and  authority  had  made  kings  and  emperors  quail 
at  his  feet,  who  had  ruled  over  the  nations  with  despotic 
sway  for  more  than  1200  years,)  and  makes  Rome  the 
second  city  of  France ;  conquers  the  ancient  monarchies  ; 
deluges  every  country  with  blood ;  masters  every  king ; 
gathers  spoils  from  every  land,  and  humbles  cities  in  the 
dust;  changes  the  laws  of  kingdoms,  and  destroys  the 
most  sacred  constitutions  of  the  Roman  states.  In  this 
revolution  among  the  Roman  kingdoms,  and  under  this 
vial,  the  bastile  was  demolished,  the  inquisition  destroyed, 
torture  suppressed,  and  the  power  of  the  Papal  clergy 
restrained.  Their  kingdoms  were  full  of  darkness  ;  they 
were  troubled,  chafed,  and  grieved;  a  thousand  plots 
were  laid ;  many  times  they  confederated  against  him, 
the  master  spirit  of  the  times ;  but  they  prevailed  not, 
until  this  vial  had  its  accomplishment  on  the  seat  of  the 
beast  Yet,  after  all  this  wonderful  display  of  God's 
judgments  upon  the  beast  and  kingdoms  of  ancient 
Rome,  they  repented  not,  but,  Pharaoh-like,  they  bias- 


Christ's  second  coming,  225 

phemed  God,  because  of  their  pains  and  their  sores, 
"  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  great 
river  Euphrates ;  and  the  water  thereof  was  dried  up, 
that  the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  east  might  be  pre- 
pared." The  scene  has  now  changed  from  Europe  to 
Turkey.  The  "  river  Euphrates  "  means,  in  prophecy,  the 
people  of  that  country  bordering  on  the  river,  and,  of 
course,  refers  to  the  Turkish  power,  as  I  have  formerly 
shown  in  my  lecture  on  the  fifth  and  sixth  trumpet 
"Water  thereof  was  dried  up,"  is  an  emblem  of  the 
power  and  strength  of  that  kingdom  being  diminished, 
or  taken  away.  This  vial  was  poured  out  on  Turkey, 
by  the  loss  of  a  great  share  of  the  empire  ;  first,  Russia  on 
the  north,  in  her  last  war  with  the  Turks,  took  away  a 
number  of  provinces  ;  then,  by  the  revolt  of  Ali  Pacha; 
then,  by  the  rising  of  the  Greeks ;  since,  by  the  Albani- 
ans and  Georgians,  and  other  distant  parts  of  the  em- 
pire, becoming  disaffected ;  which,  all  together,  have  so 
wasted  the  power  of  the  Turks,  that,  now,  it  is  very 
doubtful  whether  she  can  maintain  her  power  against 
her  own  intestine  enemies ;  and,  to  compare  her  now 
with  her  former  greatness,  would  be  like  comparing  a 
fordable  stream  with  the  great  river  Euphrates  ;  so  that 
the  way  now  appears  to  be  prepared  for  the  king-s  to 
come  up  to  the  battle  of  the  great  day,  in  which  the 
false  prophet  is  now  to  take  his  part,  as  Ave  shall  see  in 
our  next  verse. 

"  And  I  saw  three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs  come  out 
of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet ;  for 
they  are  the  spirits  of  devils  working  miracles,  which  go 
forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole  world, 
to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  the  great  day  of  God 
Almighty."  Now,  if  we  can  decipher  this  passage,  we 
can  tell  what  are  now  and  what  will  be  the  signs  of  the 
times.  "  Three  unclean  spirits,"  By  this  we  must  un- 
derstand three  wicked  principles.  "  Frogs"  I  understand 
to  show  us  that  it  is  political.  As  frogs  came  over  the 
land  in  the  judgment  on  Egypt,  and  pervaded  every 
house,  even  the  palace  of  the  king,  so  do  politics, 
"  Mouth  "  denotes  orders  or  commands,     The  dragon  ia 


226  LECTURE    XV. 

a  figure  of  the  kings  of  the  earth.     The  beast  is  used  to 
represent  Papacy.     The  false  prophet  evidently  repre- 
sents  Mahometanism.     These   have   all  the   spirit  of 
devils.     The  devil  pretends  to  claim  power  over  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world,  (see  Rev.  xii.  9,)  there  called  the 
devil.     Papacy  is  said,  in  Rev.  xiii.  2,  to  receive   its 
power  from  the  dragon,  and  to  come  out  of  the  bottom- 
less pit,  and  shall  go  into  perdition ;  of  course,  must  be- 
long to  Satan's  kingdom.     The  false  prophet,  too,  is  to 
be  "  cast  alive  into  a  lake  of  lire  burning  with  brim- 
stone."    All  these  powers  have  pretended  to  work  mira- 
cles, to  establish  their  authority  over  the  bodies  and 
souls  of  men.     But  what  are  the  principles  which  each 
of  these  teach  their  political  followers  ?     The   dragon 
and  his   political  party,  in  whatever  nation  they  may 
appear,  (as  all  three  of  these  political  principles  must 
pervade  the  whole  earth,)  will  support  tyranny,  slavery, 
and  aggrandizement  of  the  few  at  the  expense  of  many. 
The  beast  and  his  political  party  will  be  known  only  by 
their  hypocrisy,  bigotry,  and  superstition.     Their  princi- 
pal object  will  be  to  operate  on  the  hopes  and  fears  of 
men,  and  so  gain  an  ascendency  over  the  minds  of  the 
individuals  who  may  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  found  in 
their  ranks.     The  false  prophet  will  fill  his  party  with 
notions  of  infidelity,  lust,  and  conquest.     And  the  spirit 
of  all  these  parties,  working  at  one  and  the  same  time, 
in  all  nations,  and  among  all  people,  will  produce  an  ef- 
fect which  only  can  be  known  to  mortals  in  experiencing 
the  conflict.     "  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.     Blessed  is  he 
that  watcheth,  and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk 
naked,  and  they  see  his  shame."     This  verse  gives  us 
notice  of  the  near  approach  of  him  who  hath  all  power 
in  heaven  and  earth.     "  For  when  they  say,  Peace  and 
safety,  then  sudden  destruction  cometh  upon  them,  and 
they  shall   not  escape.     But  ye,  brethren,  are  not  in 
darkness,  that  that  day  shall  overtake  you  as  a  thief." 
Watch,  therefore,  for  if  ye  have  put  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,   keep   your   garment,   and   let  none  take  your 
crown,  that  you  may  be  found  of  him  without  spot  and 
blameless.     "  And  he   gathered  them  together  into  a 
place  called,  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  Armageddon ;"  that 


Christ's  second  coming.  227 

is,  "Where  the  Lord  will  declare  his  precious  fruit." 
This  gathering  is  the  same  spoken  of  in  Matt  xxv.  32, 
"  And  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations  ;  and  he 
shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as  a  shepherd  di- 
videth  his  sheep  from  the  goats."  In  the  place  Arma- 
geddon, the  Lord  will  manifest  who  are  his ;  he  will 
separate  the  chaff  from  the  wheat,  the  wicked  from  the 
just  The  wheat  he  will  gather  into  his  garner ;  they 
will  be  caught  up  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  while  the 
chaff  will  be  burnt  with  unquenchable  fire.  His  own 
right  hand  shall  save  us  while  his  last  plague  shall  be 
poured  out  upon  the  head  of  his  enemies.  "  And  the 
seventh  angel  poured  his  vial  into  the  air ;  and  there 
came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven  from  the 
throne,  saying,  It  is  done."  The  seventh  and  last  vial 
of  God's  wrath  will  be  poured  into  the  air  about  the 
year  1840,  if  my  former  calculations  are  correct,  when 
this  judgment  will  have  a  quick  and  rapid  circulation 
over  the  whole  globe.  Like  the  air,  it  will  pervade 
every  kingdom,  circulate  into  every  nation,  sow  the  seeds 
of  anarchy  in  every  society,  and  disorganize  every 
bond  of  union  among  men,  except  the  gospel.  "  And 
there  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and  lightnings,  and  a 
great  earthquake,  such  as  was  not  since  men  were 
upon  the  earth,  so  mighty  an  earthquake,  and  so  great." 
Voices,  political  strife.  Thunders  is  an  emblem  of  di- 
visions. Ldghtning  is  a  representation  of  anger  and 
war.  Great  earthquake  denotes  a  great  revolution. 
And  there  will  be,  when  this  vial  is  poured  out,  political 
strife  among  all  nations,  divisions  among  all  sects,  socie- 
ties, and  associations  of  men  upon  earth.  Anger,  war,  and 
bloodshed  will  fill  the  countries  with  horror  and  dismay  ; 
and  a  great  revolution,  such  as  was  not  since  men  were 
upon  earth,  so  mighty  a  revolution  and  so  great  "  And 
the  great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts,  and  the  cities 
of  the  nations  fell ;  and  great  Babylon  came  in  remem- 
brance before  God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine 
of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath."  The  great  city  is  the 
woman  which  reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth,  says 
the  angel,  Rev.  xvii.  18.  And  the  woman  is  Papacy. 
Papacy  must  also  be  divided  into  three  parties,  to  show 


228  LECTURE    XV. 

her  dissolution.  And  the  cities  of  the  nations  fell.  As 
city  denoted  the  papal  power  and  religion,  so  does  cities 
represent  the  power  and  religion  of  all  other  nations. 
Therefore  all  the  power,  and  all  national  religion,  will 
fall  in  and  under  this  vial,  and  the  anti-Christian  power 
will  be  judged ;  all  their  sins,  cruel  persecutions,  and 
bloody  deeds,  will  be  brought  into  judgment  into  re- 
membrance before  God,  and  he  will  fill  to  her  the  cup 
which  she  has  made  others  drink,  and  she  in  her  turn 
must  drink  the  dregs.  "  And  every  island  fled  away, 
and  the  mountains  were  not  found,"  Islands  and  moun- 
tains are  figures  of  great  and  small  kingdoms  and  gov- 
ernments. This  text  alludes  to  the  same  time  and 
circumstances  which  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  does, 
Daniel  ii.  35,  45  —  when  the  stone  cut  out  without 
hands  shall  smite  the  image  upon  his  feet,  and  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth  be  carried  away,  tbat  no  place 
shall  be  found  for  them.  In  this  verse  it  is,  the  "  moun- 
tains were  not  found."  "And  there  fell  upon  men  a 
great  hail  out  of  heaven,  every  stone  about  the  weight 
of  a  talent,  and  men  blasphemed  God  because  of  the 
plague  of  the  hail ;  for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceed- 
ing great."  This  closes  the  history  of  the  seven  last 
plagues,  and  this  storm  of  hail  is  the  last  part  of  the 
seventh  vial ;  it  is  the  closing  up  of  the  judgments  of  God 
on  an  ungodly  world.  Whether  we  are  to  understand 
this  hail  figuratively  or  literally,  I  am  not  able  to  say  ; 
but  my  prevailing  opinion  is,  that  we  are  to  understand 
it  literally,  for  this  reason  —  I  have  never  been  able  in  the 
word  of  God  to  find  any  figurative  explanation,  although 
it  is  used  in  a  number  of  places  with  particular  reference 
to  the  last  day.  Isa.  xxviii.  17,  "  Judgment  also  will  I 
lay  to  the  line,  and  righteousness  to  the  plummet,  and 
the  hail  shall  sweep  away  the  refuge  of  lies,  and  the 
waters  shall  overflow  the  hiding-places."  xxx.  30, 
"  And  the  Lord  shall  cause  his  glorious  voice  to  be 
heard,  and  shall  show  the  lighting  down  of  his  arm, 
with  the  indignation  of  his  anger,  and  with  the  flame  of 
a  devouring  fire,  with  scattering,  and  tempest,  and  hail- 
stones." Ezek.  xiii.  11,  13,  "Say  unto  them  which 
daub  it  with  untempered  mortar,  that  it  shall  fall ;  there 


Christ's   second   coming.  229 

shall  be  an  overflowing  shower ;  and  ye,  O  great  hail- 
stones, shall  fall ;  and  a  stormy  wind  shall  rend  it. 
Therefore,  thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  will  even  rend  it 
with  a  stormy  wind  in  my  fury  ;  and  there  shall  be  an 
overflowing  shower  in  mine  anger,  and  great  hail-stones 
in  my  fury,  to  consume  it"  Ezek.  xxxviii.  22,  "  And 
I  will  plead  against  him  with  pestilence  and  with  blood ; 
and  I  will  rain  upon  him,  and  upon  his  bands,  and  upon 
the  many  people  that  are  with  him,  an  overflowing  rain, 
and  great  hail-stones,  fire  and  brimstone."  Also,  Rev. 
xi.  19,  "  And  there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and 
thunderings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great  hail." 

By  reading  the  connection  of  these  texts,  you  cannot 
but  be  struck  with  the  agreement  of  the  prophets  in  their 
descriptions  of  this  last  and  dreadful  judgment  of  God 
upon  the  world.  All  of  them  evidently  fix  it  on  the  last 
day ;  all  call  it  apparently  a  rain  of  great  hail-stones, 
like  those  which  fell  upon  Egypt  in  the  days  of  Moses. 
Exodus  ix.  23 — 25,  "  And  Moses  stretched  forth  his  rod 
toward  heaven ;  and  the  Lord  sent  thunder  and  hail,  and 
the  fire  ran  along  upon  the  ground  ;  and  the  Lord  rained 
hail  upon  the  land  of  Egypt.  So  there  was  hail,  and 
fire  mingled  with  the  hail,  very  grievous,  such  as  there 
was  none  like  it  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  since  it  be- 
came a  nation.  And  the  hail  smote  throughout  all  the 
land  of  Egypt,  all  that  was  in  the  field,  both  man  and 
beast ;  and  the  hail  smote  every  herb  of  the  field,  and 
brake  every  tree  of  the  field."  This,  it  is  evident,  is  the 
type  of  the  last  part  of  the  seventh  plague. 

And  now,  my  friends,  will  you  believe  ?  Six  of  these 
plagues  have  been  accomplished  in  as  literal  a  manner 
as  we  could  expect,  after  a  fair  and  scriptural  explana- 
tion of  the  figures  and  metaphors  used.  And  again  I 
ask.  Do  you  believe  ?  You  think,  perhaps,  you  will  wait 
until  you  see  the  hail  come,  and  then  you  will  believe. 
But  will  you  not  recollect  that  our  text  says,  "  And  they 
blasphemed  God  because  of  the  plague  of  the  hail "  ? 
Will  you  thus  tempt  God  through  six  successive  judg- 
ments, and  wait  for  the  last  before  you  will  believe  ? 
What  hope  or  prospect  have  you  that  the  seventh  will 
do  what  the  six  preceding  could  not  do  —  that  is,  make 


230  LECTURE     XV. 

you  believe  ?  Is  there  one  rational  conviction  that  you 
will  be  then  convinced  ?  No,  not  one.  Then  will  you 
not  see  and  learn  wisdom  by  what  is  gone  before  ? 
Pharaoh  had  no  space  for  repentance  under,  or  even  just 
before  the  last  plague.  And  so  it  will  be  with  you  ;  the 
door  will  have  been  shut  before  any  part  of  the  seventh 
vial  will  be  poured  out,  for  then  will  be  heard  a  great 
voice  reverberating-  through  the  upper  vault  of  heaven, 
and,  sounding  even  to  the  dark  cells  of  the  pit  of  woe, 
shaking  the  middle  air  with  its  deep-toned  thunder,  and, 
like  the  lightning,  darting  its  vivid  flash  of  fire  from  east 
to  west,  Avill  pierce  the  deafest  ear,  and  make  the  hardest 
heart  to  break,  although  a  thousand  fold  more  hard  than 
the  adamantine  rock,  saying,  "  It  is  done"  This  brings 
me  to  show, 

II.  What  we  may  understand  by  "  It  is  done." 
The  first  question  which  naturally  arises  on  the  mind 
is,  What  is  done  ?  When  Christ  was  about  expiating 
for  the  sins  of  the  world ;  when  he  was  closing  up  the 
work  which  his  Father  gave  him  to  do  on  earth  in  the 
flesh ;  when  the  spirit  was  about  leaving  the  tenement 
of  clay  which  it  had  inhabited  through  a  life  of  thirty- 
three  years  of  pain,  sufferings,  deprivations,  sorrows, 
groans,  and  tears,  made  more  acute  by  temptations  try- 
ing as  the  arch-demon  of  hell  could  invent ;  suffering 
reproach  from  the  haughty  Pharisee,  and  the  more  ob- 
stinate Sadducee,  and  contempt  and  ridicule  from  the 
base  rabble  of  his  own  people;  persecuted  even  until 
death  by  the  envy,  malice,  and  hatred  of  those  who  had 
received  boons  and  blessings  of  life  at  his  hands,  —  he  had 
saved  them  from  disease,  death,  and  the  rage  of  demons  ; 
yet,  in  this  moment  of  great  need,  he  was  forsaken  of 
all ;  they  stood  afar  off;  and  when  he  was  about  giving 
up  the  ghost,  he  cried,  "  It  is  finished  !  "  and  bowed  his 
head,  and  died.  The  fratricide  man  could  do  no  more ; 
he  had  followed  him  to  death ;  beyond  that  the  envy  of 
his  brother  could  not  reach  him.  The  rabble,  who  a 
few  days  before  had  cried,  Hosannas  to  the  Son  of  Da- 
vid !  this  day  were  crying,  Crucify  him !  crucify  him ! 
now  could  cry  no  more,  but  with  downcast  looks,  re- 
turned into  the  city.  The  Pharisees  and  rulers  could 
do  no  more ;  they  had  plotted  his  death,  and  obtained 


Christ's  second  coming.  231 

their  object ;  but  into  the  dark  recess  of  the  tomb 
they  dare  not,  they  would  not,  follow.  The  great  red 
dragon  (the  Roman  power)  had  sought  his  life  when  a 
child,  but  the  hour  had  not  come.  Herod  sought  his  life 
when  a  man,  but  he  could  not  succeed  until  the  last  day 
of  the  seventy  weeks  should  be  accomplished.  Then 
the  powers  of  earth,  wicked  men,  and  devils,  could  com- 
bine to  take  the  life  of  the  Lord  of  glory.  Then,  while 
these  powers  had  control,  the  heavens  hid  their  face ; 
nature  stood  back  aghast,  and  the  material  world  shud- 
dered with  a  groan.  Then,  at  that  awful,  fitful  period, 
he  who  had  been  the  object  of  all  this  malice,  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  "  It  is  finished  ! "  The  work  on  earth 
in  the  flesh  is  finished ;  the  temptations  of  Satan  are 
finished ;  the  persecution  of  his  brethren  are  finished ; 
envy,  malice,  and  hatred  towards  the  person  of  Christ  are 
finished  ;  the  power  of  earth,  hell,  and  wicked  men  to  do 
any  thing  with  him,  is  finished  ;  death  has  no  more  ter- 
rors over  him.     It  is  finished. 

Although  Christ  had  finished  his  work,  and  had  endured 
all  the  sufferings  which  he  was  to  finish  ;  yet  in  his 
spiritual  body,  the  church,  the  measure  of  his  sufferings 
was  to  be  filled  up.  His  people  must  pass  through  the 
same  scenes  in  the  world  as  their  divine  Master  had  ex- 
perienced from  satanic  temptations  and  the  hatred  of  the 
world.  "  The  world  will  hate  you  and  persecute  you 
for  my  name's  sake,  even  as  they  hated  me  before  they 
hated  you,"  says  our  blessed  Redeemer.  Therefore  the 
same  manifestations  of  cruelty,  contempt,  persecution, 
and  death,  were  to  be  acted  over  again  in  the  church 
until  the  2300  years  should  be  accomplished,  when 
Christ  would  come  again,  receive  home  his  weary,  per- 
secuted people,  conquer  death,  and  him  that  had  the 
power  of  death,  which  is  the  devil.  "  And  there  came  a 
great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven  from  the  throne, 
saying,  It  is  done."  The  power  of  earth,  hell,  and  wick- 
ed men  over  the  dear  people  of  God,  is  done.  Their 
temptation  in  the  flesh  is  done ;  their  trials,  persecutions, 
sufferings,  darkness,  fears,  and  death  itself,  are  done. 
As  the  sufferings  of  the  head  was  finished  in  Christ,  so 
will  all  the  pains  of  the  body  be  completed  when  the 
seventh  and  last  vial  shall  be  poured  into  the  air,  and 


232  EECTURE   XV. 

cleanse  the  atmosphere  from  all  noxious  vapors,  pes- 
tilence, and  death.  "  Then  shall  the  sanctuary  be 
cleansed,"  and  then  will  the  great  voice  from  the  throne 
say,  It  is  done.  These  old  heavens  and  this  old  earth 
will  have  passed  away,  and  the  New  Jerusalem  come 
"  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride 
adorned  for  her  husband,"  Rev.  xxi.  3 — 6. 

"  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  Be- 
hold, the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell 
with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his  people,  and  God  himself 
shall  be  with  them  and  be  their  God,  and  God  shall  wipe 
away  all  tears  from  their  eyes ;  and  there  shall  be  no 
more  death,  neither  sorrow  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there 
be  any  more  pain,  for  the  former  things  are  passed  away. 
And  he  that  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all 
things  new.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Write ;  for  these 
words  are  true  and  faithful.  And  he  said  unto  me,  It  is 
done."  Here  we  have  the  same  expression  as  in  our 
text,  having  the  same  identical  meaning,  the  same  "  great 
voice,"  in  one  as  in  the  other ;  the  same  throne,  and  the 
same  voice  speaking,  alluding  to  the  same  period  of  time 
when  the  old  things  are  done  away  and  the  new  heavens 
are  finished,  to  the  same  point  in  prophecy,  "  the  end." 
Therefore,  as  we  have  passed  the  sixth  vial,  the  seventh 
and  last  hangs  trembling  in  the  air.  The  drops  of  this 
vial  are  already  contaminating  the  minds  of  men ;  already 
wo  see  the  unclean  spirit  going  forth  ;  the  great  city  is 
being  divided,  and  the  signs  of  the  heavens  denote  a 
moral  conflict,  and  on  the  earth  a  speedy  revolution. 

Then,  my  friends,  let  us  be  wise ;  let  us  make  peace 
with  Him  who  has  power  to  save  or  to  destroy.  For  we 
learn  by  our  subject  that  the  world  and  worldly  scenes 
are  passing  away;  every  vestige  of  mortal  grandeur, 
every  form  of  carnal  pride,  every  fashion  of  human  glory 
will  soon  be  eclipsed  by  the  grandeur  of  that  great  white 
throne  from  whose  face  the  heavens  and  earth  will  flee 
away,  and  the  great  voice  from  the  throne  will  sound 
the  last  requiem,  "  It  is  done." 

11  Yet  when  the  sound  shall  tear  the  skies, 

And  lightning  burn  the  globe  below, 
Saints,  you  may  lift  your  joyful  eyes  ; 

There's  a  new  heaven  and  earth  for  you." 


LECTURE    XVI. 


MATT.  xxv.  1. 


Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be  likened  unto  ten  virgins 
which  took  their  lamps  and  went  forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom. 

Parables  are  always  given  to  illustrate  some  doc- 
trine or  subject  which  the  speaker  wishes  to  communi- 
cate, and  is  an  easy  or  familiar  manner  of  making  his 
hearers  or  readers  understand  the  subject,  and  receive 
a  lasting  impression.  Nothing  has  so  good  an  effect  on 
the  mind  as  to  teach  by  parables  moral  precepts  or 
spiritual  truths.  In  this  way  we  are  taught  by  visible 
things,  or  familiar  objects,  to  realize,  in  some  measure, 
the  truths  and  subjects  presented.  This  was  the  man- 
ner Christ  taught  his  disciples  and  followers,  that  their 
memories  might  the  more  easily  retain,  and  be  often 
refreshed,  when  they  beheld  any  scene  like  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  parable ;  and  in  this  way,  they  might 
always  keep  in  view  the  important  truth  that  is  likened 
to  the  parable.  A  parable,  rightly  applied  and  clear- 
ly understood,  gives  good  instruction,  and  is  a  lasting 
illustration  of  the  truth.  But  if  we  apply  the  parable 
wrong,  if  we  put  on  a  false  construction,  it  will  serve 
to  lead  us  into  an  error,  and  blind  us,  instead  of  produ- 
cing light, —  as  Christ  said  of  the  Pharisees,  he  spa.ke 
to  them  in  parables,  that,  "  seeing,  they  might  see  and 
not  perceive,  and  hearing,  they  might  hear  and  not  un- 
derstand." Men  often  explain  parables  by  fancy,  to 
suit  their  own  notions,  without  any  evidence  but  their 
own  ingenuity ;  and  bv  this  means  there  will  be  as  many 
20  * 


234  LECTURE    XVI. 

different  explanations  as  there  are  ingenious  men.  But 
I  dare  not  trifle  thus  with  the  word  of  God:  if  we  can* 
not,  by  the  word  of  God,  explain,  we  had  better  leave 
the  same  as  we  find  it,  and  not  attempt  what  must  only- 
result  in  guess-work  at  last ;  but  follow  Scripture  rule, 
and  we  cannot  get  far  from  the  truth.  Christ  has  given 
us  rules  by  which  to  explain  parables,  by  explaining 
some  himself.  The  explanations  given  by  Christ  of  the 
parable  of  the  tares  and  the  wheat,  is  a  rule  that  will 
bear  in  about  all  cases.  That  he  has  given  rules,  is 
very  evident  in  his  answer  to  his  disciples,  when  they 
asked  him  concerning  his  parables.  Mark  iv.  13,  "And 
he  said  unto  them,  Know  ye  not  this  parable  ?  How, 
then,  will  ye  know  all  parables  ?"  That  is,  if  ye  under- 
stand how  I  explain  this  parable,  you  will  know  how  to 
explain  all  others ;  but  if  you  do  not  understand  how  I 
explain  this,  you  cannot  explain  all  others."  This  is  the 
rule.  Christ  made  all  the  prominent  parts  of  a  parable 
figures ;  such  as  the  sower,  Son  of  man ;  good  seed, 
children  of  the  kingdom ;  tares,  children  of  the  wicked 
one  ;  harvest,  end  of  the  world ;  reapers,  the  angels  ;  "  as, 
therefore,  the  tares  are  gathered  and  burned,  so  shall 
it  be  in  the  end  of  the  world,"  &c.  Here  is  a  sample ; 
good  seed,  tares,  harvest,  and  reapers,  are  figures  rep- 
resenting other  things,  as  we  have  shown.  "  But  how," 
say  you,  "  shall  we  always  know  what  these  figures  rep- 
resent ?  "  I  answer,  By  the  explanation  given  in  other 
parts  of  the  Bible.  For  the  word  of  God  is  its  own 
expositor,  or  it  can  be  of  no  manner  of  use  to  us ;  for 
if  we  have  to  apply  to  any  other  rule,  to  explain  the 
Bible,  then,  the  other  rule  would  be  tantamount,  and 
have  a  precedence,  and  the  Bible  must  fall  of  course. 
But  it  is  not  so.  Then,  to  explain  our  subject,  I 
shall, 

I.  Show   what  is  meant  by  the  figures  used  in  the 
parable. 

II.  The  time  to   which  this   parable   is   applicable, 
and, 

III.  Make  an  application  of  our  subject. 

I.   I  will  explain  the  figures  in  the  parable ;  and,  1st, 
tt  kingdom  of  heaven"  means  the  gospel  day,  or  circle 


Christ's  second  coming.  235 

of  God's  government  under  the  gospel  dispensation, 
This  I  shall  prove  by  the  word  of  God.  Matt.  iii.  I,  2, 
"  In  those  days  came  John  the  Baptist,  preaching  in  the 
wilderness  of  Judea,  and  saying,  Repent  ye,  for  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  That  is,  the  gospel 
day  is  come.  Again :  "  Jesus  came  into  Galilee  preach- 
ing the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  saying,  The 
time  is  fulfilled,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand." 
Luke  xvi.  16,  "  The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until 
John;  since  that  time  the  kingdom  of  God  is  preached." 
That  is,  the  gospel  day  commenced  with  John,  since 
which  time  the  gospel  is  preached. 

"  Ten  virgins  "  means  mankind  in  general,  in  a  pro- 
bationary state,  liable  to  be  wooed  and  betrothed  to  the 
Lord,  under  the  gospel,  and  during  the  gospel  day.  See 
Isaiah  lxii.  1 — 5,  "  For  as  a  young  man  marrieth  a  vir- 
gin, so  shall  thy  sons  marry  thee  ;  and  as  the  bridegroom 
rejoiceth  over  the  bride,  so  shall  thy  God  rejoice  over 
thee."  It  is  evident,  by  the  second  verse,  that  Gentiles 
and  Jews  are  both  included  in  this  prophecy. 

"Five  wise  virgins"  is  a  figure  of  believers  in  God, 
or  the  children  of  the  kingdom.  Psalms  xlv.  13,  14, 
"  The  king's  daughter  is  all  glorious  within ;  her  cloth- 
ing is  of  wrought  gold.  She  shall  be  brought  unto  the 
king  in  raiment  of  needle- work ;  the  virgins,  her  com- 
panions that  follow  her,  shall  be  brought  unto  thee." 
"  That  I  might  comfort  thee,  O  virgin  daughter  of  Zion." 
Lam.  ii.  13. 

"  Five  foolish"  represents  the  unbelieving  class  of  man- 
kind, while  in  this  probationary  state,  under  the  means 
of  grace.  This  will  be  sufficiently  proved  by  the  fol- 
lowing passages  —  Isa.  xlvii.  1,  "Come  down, and  sit  in 
the  dust,  O  virgin  daughter  of  Babylon ;  sit  on  the 
ground ;  there  is  no  throne,  O  daughter  of  the  Chal- 
deans." Jer.  xivi.  11,  "O  virgin,  the  daughter  of 
Egypt :  in  vain  shalt  thou  use  many  medicines ;  for 
thou  shalt  not  be  cured."  These  texts  prove,  beyond 
a  doubt,  that  the  wicked  class  of  men  are  called  virgins 
by  the  Scriptures. 

"  Lamps  "  is  a  figure  of  the  word  of  God ;  for  that 
only  can  tell  us  about  the  New  Jerusalem :   that  only 


236  LECTURE     XVI. 

can  inform  us  when  Christ  will  come  again  to  the  mar- 
riage supper  of  the  Lamh.  The  word  of  God  is  the 
means  of  moral  light,  to  light  our  steps  through  moral 
darkness,  up  to  the  coming  of  the  bridegroom  to  receive 
the  bride  unto  himself.  This  I  shall  prove  by  the  cxix. 
Psalm,  I  05,  "  Thy  word  is  a  lamp  to  my  feet,  and  a  light 
to  my  path."  Also,  Prov.  vi.  23,  "  For  the  command- 
ment is  a  lamp,  and  the  law  is  light ;  and  reproofs  of 
instruction  are  the  way  of  life." 

"  Oil "  is  a  representation  or  emblem  of  faith ;  as  oil 
produces  light  by  burning,  so  does  faith,  in  exercise  by 
the  fire  of  love,  produce  more  light,  and  gives  comfort 
in  adversity,  hope  in  darkness,  love  for  the  coming 
bridegroom ;  and  the  light  of  faith  assists  us  to  watch 
for  his  coming,  and  to  know  the  time  of  night,  and  to 
go  out  to  meet  him :  such  are  called  the  children  of 
light,  because  they  are  believers,  children  of  faith, 
"  sons  of  oil."  "  Because  of  the  savor  of  thy  good  oint- 
ments, thy  name  is  as  ointment  poured  forth ;  therefore 
do  the  virgins  love  thee,"  Sol.  Song,  i.  2.  "Faith 
works  by  love."  See  1  John  ii.  27,  "  But  the  anointing 
which  ye  have  received  of  him,  abideth  in  you ;  and  ye 
need  not  that  any  man  teach  you;  but  as  the  same 
anointing  teacheth  you  of  all  things,  and  is  truth,  and  is 
no  lie,  and  even  as  it  hath  taught  you,  ye  shall  abide  in 
him."  It  is  evident,  that  the  anointing  here,  and 
elsewhere  spoken  of,  means  fai|h,  faith  in  his  name, 
&c. 

"Vessels"  represent  the  persons  or  mind  that  be- 
lieves or  disbelieves  in  the  word  of  God,  as  in  1  Thess. 
iv.  4,  "That  every  one  of  you  should  know  how  to  pos- 
sess his  vessel  in  sanctification  and  honor."  Also,  2 
Tim.  ii.  21,  "  If  any  man,  therefore,  purge  himself  from 
these,  he  shall  be  a  vessel  unto  honor." 

" Bridegroom"  is  the  figurative  name  for  Christ;  as 
the  prophet.  Isaiah  says,  "And  as  a  bridegroom  rejoiceth 
over  the  bride,  so  shall  thy  God  rejoice  over  thee."  And 
Christ  says,  "  How  can  the  children  of  the  bride-cham- 
ber mourn,  while  the  bridegroom  is  with  them  ?  "  alluding 
to  himself.  This  proves  that  Christ  means  himself,  in 
person,  by  the  bridegroom  in  the  parable. 


Christ's  second  coming.  237 

"  The  door  was  shut,"  implies  the  closing  up  of  the 
mediatorial  kingdom,  and  finishing  the  gospel  period. 
1  shall  prove  this  by  Luke  xiii.  25 — 28,  "  When  once 
the  master  of  the  house  is  risen  up,  and  hath  shut  to  the 
door,  and  ye  begin  to  stand  without,  and  to  knock  at  the 
door,  saying,  Lord,  Lord,  open  unto  us ;  and  he  shall 
answer  and  say  unto  you,  I  know  ye  not  whence  ye  are 
Then  shall  ye  begin  to  say,  We  have  eaten  and  drunken 
in  thy  presence,  and  thou  hast  taught  in  our  streets. 
But  he  shall  say,  I  tell  you  I  know  you  not  whence  ye 
are ;  depart  from  me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity  ;  there 
shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth." 

"  Marriage  "  is  the  time  when  Christ  shall  come  the 
second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation  ;  gather  his  elect 
from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  where  they  have  been 
scattered  during  the  dark  and  cloudy  day ;  when  he 
comes  to  be  glorified  in  his  saints,  and  to  be  admired  in 
all  them  that  believe ;  when  the  bride  hath  made  herself 
ready,  and  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  then  he 
will  present  her  to  his  Father  without  spot  or  wrinkle, 
and  there  marry  the  bride  before  his  Father  and  the  holy 
angels  ;  removes  her  into  the  New  Jerusalem  state,  seats 
her  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory,  where  she  will  ever  be 
with  the  Lord.  When  this  takes  place,  the  whole  body 
will  be  present;  the  whole  church  must  be  there,  not  a 
member  missing,  not  a  finger  out  of  joint.  She  will  be 
perfect  in  beauty,  all  over  glorious.  See  Rev.  xix.  7 — 9, 
"  Let  us  rejoice  and  be  glad,  and  give  honor  to  him,  for 
the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife  hath 
made  herself  ready.  And  to  her  was  granted  that  she 
should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white,  for  the 
fine  linen  is  the  righteousness  of  saints.  And  he  said 
unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  they  which  are  called  to  the 
marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb."  Daniel  says,  "  Blessed 
is  he  that  waiteth  and  cometh  to  the  1335  days."  John 
says,  "  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first 
resurrection."  All  these  are  at  one  and  the  same  time ; 
and  how  can  we  expect  to  be  free  from  sorrow,  mourning, 
and  tears,  until  the  bridegroom  comes  and  moves  us  into 
the  beloved  city  ?  Rev.  xxi.  2 — 4,  "  And  I  John  saw  the 
holy  city,  New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God  out 


238  LECTURE    XVI. 

of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband. 
And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  Behold, 
the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell 
with  them,"  &c. 

"  Midnight  cry  "  is  the  watchmen,  or  some  of  them, 
who  by  the  word  of  God  discover  the  time  as  revealed, 
and  immediately  give  the  warning  voice,  "  Behold,  the 
bridegroom  cometh ;  go  ye  out  to  meet  him."  This  has 
been  fulfilled  in  a  most  remarkable  manner.  One  or  two 
on  every  quarter  of  the  globe  have  proclaimed  the  news, 
and  agree  in  the  time  —  Wolf,  of  Asia ;  Irwin,  late  of 
England ;  Mason,  of  Scotland ;  Davis,  of  South  Carolina ; 
and  quite  a  number  in  this  region  are,  or  have  been,  giv- 
ing the  cry.  And  will  not  you  all,  my  brethren,  examine 
and  see  if  these  things  are  so,  and  trim  your  lamps,  and 
be  found  ready  ? 

"  Trimming  the  lamps."  You  will  recollect,  my 
friends,  that  the  word  of  God  is  the  lamp.  To  trim  a 
lamp  is  to  make  it  give  light,  more  light,  and  clearer 
light.  In  the  first  place,  to  translate  the  Bible  would 
make  it  give  light,  in  all  languages  into  which  it  should 
be  translated.  Then,  to  send  to  or  give  every  family  in 
the  known  world  a  Bible  would  make  the  Bible  give 
more  light.  And  thirdly,  to  send  out  true  servants  of  God 
who  have  made  the  Bible  their  study,  and  true  teachers, 
who  would  teach  the  holy  precepts  and  doctrines  con- 
tained therein,  and  to  employ  many  Sabbath  school 
teachers,  would  in  the  hands  of  God  be  the  means  of  its 
giving  clearer  light.  This  would  be  trimming  the  lamp ; 
and  so  far  as  the  foolish  virgins  assisted  in  translating 
the  Scriptures,  in  sending  them  among  all  nations,  and 
employing  missionaries  and  teachers  to  teach  mankind 
its  principles,  so  far  would  they  trim  their  lamp  ;  but  if 
they  had  no  faith  in  it,  their  light  would  be  darkness, 
and  the  lamp  to  .them  would  go  out.  If  the  friend  of 
the  bridegroom  should  proclaim  the  approach  of  him 
whom  they  all  expected,  and  should  prove  it  ever  so 
plain  by  the  lamp,  but  having  no  faith,  the  lamp  would 
go  out ;  they  would  not  be  ready  to  enter  in  to  the  mar- 
riage supper,  and  the  door  would  be  shut  This  is  un- 
doubtedly the  meaning  which  Christ  intends  to  convey 
in  this  parable.     I  shall,  therefore,  show. 


Christ's  second  coming.  239 

II.   The  time  this  parable  is  applicable  to. 

In  the  chapter  previous  our  Savior  had  answered  three 
questions  which  his  disciples  had  put  to  him  on  the 
mount  of  Olives,  when  they  came  to  him  privately,  "say- 
ing, Tell  us,  when  shall  these  things  be  ? "  That  is, 
when  Jerusalem  should  be  levelled  with  the  ground. 
"  And  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  coming  ?  "  That  is, 
his  second  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power 
and  great  glory,  as  he  had  before  informed  them,  which 
is  yet  future.  "  And  of  the  end  of  the  world,"  or,  as  some 
translate  it,  "  end  of  the  age,"  to  which  I  am  perfectly 
willing  to  agree  ;  but  what  age  ?  is  the  question.  1 
answer,  The  gospel  age,  or  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  See 
14th  verse,  "  This  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be 
preached  in  all  the  world  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations ; 
and  then  shall  the  end  come."  "  The  law  and  the 
prophets  were  until  John,  since  which  time  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  preached."  The  Jewish  economy  is  no 
where  called  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  but  this  expres- 
sion belongs  exclusively  to  the  gospel ;  and  of  course  any 
age  in  which  the  gospel  or  kingdom  of  heaven  is  preached 
can  never  be  applied  to  the  Jewish  age.  Any  nov- 
ice in  Scripture  interpretation  must  readily  admit  this. 
These  were  the  questions  proposed  by  the  disciples  to 
their  divine  Master,  and  were  answered  in  the  following 
manner :  From  the  4th  to  the  14th  verses  inclusive  of 
the  24th  chapter  of  Matthew,  Christ  informs  his  disciples 
of  the  troubles,  trials,  persecutions,  and  distress  which 
they  and  his  followers  should  suffer,  down  to  the  end  of 
the  gospel  age.  He  also  informs  them  by  what  means 
they  must  suffer  —  by  false  brethren,  by  deceit,  by  Avars, 
rumors  of  wars,  clashing  of  nations,  earthquakes,  afflic- 
tions, death,  hatred,  offences,  betrayals,  false  prophets, 
coldness,  iniquity,  famines,  and  pestilence,  and  these  to 
the  end  of  the  gospel  age.  From  the  15th  to  the  22d 
inclusive  he  alludes  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and 
particularly  gives  his  followers  warning  of  what  they 
shall  suffer,  and  informs  them  what  to  do  at  that  time ; 
he  tells  them  what  to  pray  for,  and  how  to  escape  from 
the  siege,  and  how  to  avoid  certain  consequences  which 
must  follow  this  great  tribulation. 


240  LECTURE    XVI. 

From  the  23d  to  the  28th  inclusive,  he  warns  his  dis- 
ciples against  the  error  that  false  teachers  would  promul- 
gate, that  Christ  did  or  would  come  at  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem.  He  told  them  plainly  to  "  believe  it  not,"  for 
his  second  coming  would  be  as  visible  as  the  lightning, 
and  then  every  man  would  be  gathered  to  his  own  com- 
pany ;  so  there  would  be  no  room  for  deceit. 

In  the  29th  verse  he  prophesies  of  the  rise  of  anti- 
Christ,  the  darkness  and  fall  of  many  into  superstition 
and  error,  and  the  persecution  of  the  true  church.  30th 
and  31st  verse,  He  gives  a  sign  of  his  coming,  the 
mourning  of  the  tribes  of  the  earth,  and  then  speaks  of 
his  coming  and  what  he  will  do.  32,  Is  the  parable  of 
the  figtree.  33,  He  enforces  it  by  saying,  "  So  likewise 
ye,  when  ye  shall  see  all  these  things,  know  that  it  is 
near,  even  at  the  door."  34th  and  35th  verses,  He  gives 
his  disciples  a  comfortable  promise,  which  was  to  this 
amount,  that  his  children  should  not  be  all  destroyed 
from  the  earth.  But  "  this  generation  shall  not  pass  till 
all  these  things  be  fulfilled."  To  prove  the  word  gener- 
ation is  so  used,  I  will  refer  you  to  Psalm  xxii.  30,  "  A 
seed  shall  serve  him ;  it  shall  be  accounted  to  the  Lord 
for  a  generation."  1  Peter  ii.  9,  "  A  chosen  generation, 
a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation."  The  word  genera- 
tion, in  the  Scriptures,  when  used  in  the  singular,  I  be- 
lieve almost  invariably  means  the  children  of  one  parent ; 
as  the  generation  of  Adam,  children  of  Adam,  chosen 
generation,  children  of  God,  generation  of  vipers, 
children  of  the  devil.  So  Christ,  talking  to  his  children, 
and  instructing  them  only,  says,  "  This  generation  shall 
not  pass  till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and 
earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  words  shall  not  pass 
away."  His  kingdom  shall  not  be  destroyed  nor  given 
to  another  people, 

36th  verse,  He  informs  his  disciples  that  the  day  and 
hour  of  his  coming  is  known  only  to  God,  has  never  been 
revealed,  meaning  day  and  hour  only,  whether  at  mid- 
night, at  cock  crowing,  or  in  the  morning. 

Verses  37 — 44,  inclusive,  He  informs  them  that  his 
coming  will  be  like  the  deluge ;  unexpected  to  the 
wicked,  as  then.     He  tells  them  the  manner  ;  that  he  will 


Christ's  second  coming.  241 

separate  the  righteous  from  the  wicked ;  one  shall  be 
taken  and  another  left.  He  then  gives  them  a  charge  to 
watch,  and  repeats,  "  they  know  not  the  hour."  Christ 
illustrates  his  warning  by  the  figure  of  the  good  man  of 
the  house,  and  then  charges  them  to  be  also  ready,  as 
the  good  man  would,  if  he  knew  in  what  watch  the  thief 
would  come,  showing  us  plainly  that  all  true  believers 
will  know  near  the  time,  as  Paul  says,  "  But  ye,  brethren, 
are  not  in  darkness,  that  that  day  shall  overtake  you  as 
a  thief." 

From  45 — 47,  he  tell  us  of  the  faithful  and  wise  ser- 
vant who  watches  and  gives  warning  of  his  coming,  and 
speaks  of  the  blessings  that  servant  shall  inherit  when 
he  comes  and  finds  him  so  doing. 

48 — 51,  Christ  gives  us  the  marks  of  an  evil  servant :  1st 
mark,  he  will  "  say  in  his  heart,  My  Lord  delayeth  his 
coming."  He  may  not  preach  or  speak  against  Christ's 
coming ;  no,  he  will  only  say  it  to  himself.  But  he  will 
not  say  he  will  never  come  ;  no,  he  will  only  think  in  his 
heart,  "My  Lord  delayeth  his  coming."  When  he 
hears  the  voice  of  the  faithful  servant  saying,  "  Behold, 
the  bridegroom  cometh,"  he  will  say  nothing  in  public 
against  it ;  no,  not  so  bad  as  that.  Neither  will  he  say 
any  thing  in  favor  of  the  cry  ;  but  mutter  in  his  heart, 
"  My  Lord  delayeth  his  coming."  The  second  mark, 
"  And  shall  begin  to  smite  his  fellow-servants."  It  does 
not  say  he  will  beat  and  bruise  his  fellow-servants,  or 
the  faithful  servant  who  watches  and  cries ;  but  he  shall 
begin  to  smite,  &c,  meaning  he  will  begin  the  persecu- 
tion, set  others  on,  and  himself  he  will  keep  back,  in  his 
heart  deceitful.  3d  mark,  a  And  to  eat  and  drink  with 
the  drunken."  To  eat  and  drink  with  the  drunken —  it 
does  not  say  he  gets  drunk ;  no,,  it  only  says  he  eats  and 
drinks  with  them  that  are  so.  By  this  I  understand  he 
fellowships  with  them,  and  is  engaged  in,  and  employs 
his  time,  his  talents,  his  mind,  to  build  up  some  popular 
and  worldly  object,  which  men  of  the  world  would  be 
pleased  in  promoting.  He  courts  popular  applause ;  he 
seeks  to  please  men  more  than  God.  "  The  Lord  of  that 
servant  will  come  in  a  day  when  he  looketh  not  for  him, 
and  in  an  hour  he  is  not  aware  of.  And  shall  cut  him 
21 


242  LECTURE    XVI. 

asunder,  and  appoint  him  his  portion  with  the  hypocrites ; 
there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth." 

"  Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be  likened  unto 
ten  virgins,  which  took  their  lamps  and  went  forth  to 
meet  the  bridegroom."  I  think  we  cannot  be  mistaken 
in  the  application  of  this  parable.  "  Then,"  that  is,  at 
the  time  when  the  wise  servants  are  looking  for  and 
proclaiming  his  coming,  and  when  the  evil  servant  says 
in  his  heart,  My  Lord  delayeth  his  coming.  Then,  too, 
when  he  will  come,  and  they  that  are  ready  go  in  to  the 
marriage,  and  the  door  is  shut.  This  must  mean  the 
time  when  Christ  comes  to  judgment,  for  he  cuts  off  the 
evil  servant,  and  appoints  him  his  portion,  and  shuts  the 
door  against  the  foolish  virgins  ;  and  when  they  knock,  he 
opens  not,  bat  tells  them,  I  know  you  not. 

Where,  then,  is  the  millennium  ?  say  some.  After  the 
judgment  sits,  and  not  before;  after  the  bridegroom 
comes,  and  the  beloved  city  is  completed ;  when  Christ 
shall  move  his  saints  home,  and  live  and  reign  with  them 
on  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth 
righteousness.  If  there  could  have  been  a  millennium 
before  Christ  should  come  and  gather  his  saints  into  one 
body,  it  must  be  a  very  imperfect  one.  A  part  of  the 
body  in  heaven,  a  part  in  the  earth,  and  the  remainder 
under  the  earth ;  separated,  divided,  wounded,  and  torn 
by  enemies  and  death,  absent  from  our  head.  No,  it 
cannot  be ;  if  in  this  life  only  we  have  hope,  we  are  of 
all  men  most  miserable.  If  we  are  to  have  a  temporal 
millennium,  why  did  not  our  Savior  mention  it  on  the 
mount  of  Olives,  as  preceding  his  coming?  He  did 
not,  neither  has  any  of  the  apostles ;  but  all  speak  of 
troublous  times,  departure  from  the  faith,  iniquity 
abounding,  and  the  love  of  many  waxing  cold  in  the 
latter  days.  Our  parable,  to  which  we  are  now  attend- 
ing, says,  at  midnight  there  was  a  cry  made,  Behold,  the 
bridegroom  cometh  ;  go  ye  out  to  meet  him.  "At  mid- 
night;" this  teaches  us  that  at  the  time  of  his  coming 
there  will  be  much  apathy  and  darkness  on  this  subject; 
that  is  the  coming  of  the  bridegroom.  The  parable  im- 
plies the  same.  "  For  while  the  bridegroom  tarried,  they 
all  slumbered  and  slept."     Can  we  not  bear  witness  that 


Christ's  second  coming.  243 

tkni  has  been  the  true  state  of  the  church  fox  a  number 
of  /ears  past  ?  The  writers  on  the  word  of  God  have 
adopted  in  their  creeds,  that  there  would  be  a  temporal 
millennium  before  Christ  would  come.  I  call  it  temporal, 
because  they  have  all  of  them  taught  that  it  would  be  in 
this  state  of  things,  not  in  an  immortal  state,  neither  in 
a  glorified  state  ;  and  that  Christians  would  have  all 
kingdoms  under  their  control ;  that  is,  in  a  temporal 
sense  ;  and  that  they  would  be  married  and  given  in 
marriage,  until  the  coming  of  Christ  after  this  1000 
years,  or,  as  some  say,  360,000  years.  This  has  been, 
and  is  yet,  the  prevailing  opinion  among  our  standard 
writers  and  great  men.  No  wonder,  Christ  says,  they 
will  say  in  their  hearts,  My  Lord  delayeth  his  coming, 
and  that  the  wise  and  foolish  are  all  sleeping  and  slum- 
bering on  this  important  subject.  For  while  we  look 
for  a  temporal  kingdom,  behold,  he  cometh  and  destroys 
all  that  is  perishable,  all  that  is  temporal,  and  erects 
upon  these  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  which  is  im- 
mortal, and  that  fadeth  not  away,  eternal  in  the  heavens. 
I  shall  now, 

III.  Make  an  application  of  our  subject.  And, 
1st  The  time  of  the  fulfilment  of  this  parable  i? 
evidently  come,  in  part  at  least.  The  world  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  have  been  trimming  their  lamps,  and  the 
wise  and  foolish  have  been  engaged  in  translating  the 
word  of  God  into  almost  every  language  known  unto  us 
upon  the  earth.  Mr.  Judson  tells  us  that  it  has  been 
translated  into  one  hundred  and  fifty  languages  within 
thirty  years  ;  that  is,  three  times  the  number  of  all  the 
translations  known  to  us  before.  Then  fourfold  light 
has  been  shed  among  the  nations,  within  the  short  period 
of  the  time  above  specified  ;  and  we  are  informed  that  a 
part  if  not  all  of  the  word  of  God  is  now  given  to  all 
nations  in  their  own  language.  This,  surely,  is  setting 
the  word  of  life  in  a  conspicuous  situation,  that  it  may 
give  light  to  all  in  the  world.  This  has  not  been  done 
by  the  exertions  of  Christians  or  professors  only,  but  by 
the  aid  of  all  classes  and  societies  of  men.  Kings  have 
opened  their  coffers,  and  favored  those  engaged  in  the 
work :  nobles  have  used  their  influence,  and  have  cast 


244  LECTURE    XVI. 

into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord  of  their  abundance ;  rich 
men  have  bestowed  of  their  riches  ;  and  in  many  cases 
the  miser  has  forgot  his  parsimony,  the  poor  have  re- 
plenished the  funds  of  the  Lord's  house,  and  the  widow- 
has  cast  in  her  mite.  How  easy  to  work  the  work  of 
the  Lord  when  the  hearts  of  men  are  made  willing  by  his 
power  I  But  shall  we  forget  those  who  have  forsaken 
the  land  of  their  fathers,  the  home  of  their  nativity,  and 
have  spent  lonesome  years  of  toil  among  strangers,  yes, 
worse  than  strangers,  among  heathen  idolaters,  and  the 
savage  of  the  wilderness,  in  the  cold  regions  of  the 
north,  and  under  the  scorching  rays  of  a  vertical  sun, 
among  the  suffocating  sands  of  the  desert,  or  in  the 
pestilential  atmosphere  of  India ;  who  have  risked  their 
lives  to  learn  a  language,  and  prepare  themselves  to 
trim  a  lamp  for  those  who  sit  in  darkness  and  the  shadow 
of  death  ?  No,  we  will  not  forget  them ;  the  prayers 
of  thousands  have  ascended  before  the  golden  altar, 
morning  and  evening,  on  their  behalf,  and  Israel's  God 
has  been  their  protector.  Surely  we  may  hope  that 
these  have  oil  in  their  lamps,  who  have  sacrificed  so 
much  to  bestow  a  lamp  upon  others.  But  remember, 
my  brethren,  the  Lord  he  is  God,  and  let  him  have  all 
the  glory.  This  is  the  time,  and  the  same  time  that 
G  abriel  informed  Daniel,  "  many  should  run  to  and  fro, 
and  knowledge  should  increase."  This,  too,  is  the  same 
time  when  the  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven 
had  the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  to  them  who  dwelt 
upon  the  earth.  Here  are  Christ's  words  fulfilled,  where 
he  says,  "  And  this  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be 
preached  in  all  the  world  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations  ; 
and  then  shall  the  end  come." 

2dly.  It  is  plain  to  any  diligent  observer  of  the  signs 
of  the  times,  that  all  the  societies  for  moral  reform  in 
our  world  at  the  present  day  are  parts  of  the  fulfilment 
of  the  parable,  giving  more  light.  What  of  our  Bible 
societies?  Are  not  these  trimming  the  lamp  for  mil- 
lions of  human  beings  ?  Thirty  years  past,  more  than 
three  fourths  of  the  families  in  what  we  call  Christian 
lands  were  without  the  lamp  of  life,  and  now  nearly  all 
supplied.    Many  of  those  who  sat  in  heathenish  dark- 


Christ's  second  coming.  ^45 

ness  then,  are  now  rejoicing  in  the  light  of  God's  b*ook, 
And  much  of  this  has  been  performed  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  Bible  societies,  and  not  only  through 
the  agency  of  the  church,  but  political  men,  men  of  the 
world,  the  great  men,  merchants  of  the  earth  and  those 
who  trade  in  ships,  all  who  live  under  the  influence  of 
the  gospel,  the  "  kingdom  of  heaven,"  have  engaged  in 
the  work.  Will  not  the  most  skeptical  acknowledge, 
that  this  society  has  succeeded  beyond  the  most  sanguine 
expectation  of  its  most  ardent  advocates  ?  And  is  not 
this  strong  circumstantial  evidence  that  the  Bridegroom 
is  near,  even  at  the  door  ? 

3d.  The  missionary  societies  of  all  sects  and  denom- 
inations, which  have  been  established  within  forty  years, 
have  a.s  far  exceeded  all  former  exertions  of  this  kind  as 
the  overflowing  Nile  does  the  waters  of  the  brook  Kid- 
ron.  See  the  missionary  spirit  extending  from  east  to 
west,  and  from  north  to  south,  warming  the  breast  of  the 
philanthropist,  giving  life  and  vigor  to  the  cold-hearted 
moralist,  and  animating  and  enlivening  the  social  cir- 
cle of  the  pious  devotee.  Every  nation,  from  India  to 
Oregon,  from  Kamtschatka  to  New  Zealand,  have  been 
visited  by  these  wise  servants  (as  we  hope)  of  the  cross, 
proclaiming  "  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
day  of  vengeance  of  our  God,"  carrying  the  lamp,  the 
word  of  God  in  their  hands,  and  oil,  faith  in  God,  in 
their  hearts.  All  classes  of  men  are  engaged  in  this 
cause,  from  the  gray  hairs  of  old  age  down  to  the 
sprightly  youth  of  ten  years.  Who,  then,  can  doubt  but 
that  the  virgins  in  this  sense  have  and  are  trimming 
their  lamps,  and  the  bride  is  making  herself  ready  ? 
"  Go  ye  out  to  meet  him." 

4th.  The  Sabbath  schools  and  Bible  classes  are  but  a 
part  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  parable,  yet  clearly  an  evi- 
dence that  the  virgins  are  now  trimming  their  lamps. 
This  system  of  teaching  the  young  and  ignorant  took  its 
rise  between  forty  and  fifty  years  since,  at  the  very  time 
that  the  Christian  world  were  praying,  and  ardently 
praying,  for  the  coming  of  Christ,  before  that  part  of  the 
Savior's  prayer  was  forgotten,  "  Thy  kingdom  come." 
From  a  little  fountain  this  stream  of  water  has  be- 
21* 


346  LECTURE    XVI. 

coirfe  a  great  river,  and  encompassed  the  whole  land. 
Every  quarter  of  the  globe  are  drinking  at  this  fountain 
or  stream  of  knowledge,  and  the  youth  are  taught  to 
trim  their  lamps.  And  when  the  bridegroom  shall  come, 
may  we  not  reasonably  hope  that  the  thousands  of  the 
young  men  and  young  women  who  have  assisted  in 
giving  light  to  others,  may  be  found  having  oil  in  their 
vessels,  and  their  lamps  trimmed  and  burning,  and  they 
looking  and  waiting  for  the  coming  of  their  Master,  that 
when  he  comes  they  may  rise  to  meet  him  in  the  air, 
with  ten  thousand  of  their  pupils,  who  will  sing  the  new 
song  in  the  New  Jerusalem  forever  and  ever  ?  Search 
diligently,  my  young  friends,  and  see  to  it  that  ye  be- 
lieve in  this  word,  "which  is  able  to  make  you  wise 
unto  salvation." 

5.  Tract  societies  are  of  much  use,  and  are  an  efficient 
means  to  help  trim  the  lamps ;  like  snuffers  that  take 
away  the  preventives  to  the  light,  so  are  tracts.  They 
take  away  from  the  mind  the  prejudice  that  thousands 
have  against  reading  the  word  of  God.  They  remove 
those  rooted  and  groundless  opinions  which  many  have 
that  they  cannot  understand  the  Bible ;  they  serve  to 
excite  the  mind  to  this  kind  of  reading ;  they  enlighten 
the  understanding  into  some  scriptural  truths  ;  they  are 
pioneers,  in  many  instances,  to  conversion ;  they  can  be 
sent  where  the  word  of  God  cannot  at  first  be  received ; 
in  one  word,  they  are  the  harbingers  of  light,  the  fore- 
runners of  the  Bible.  And  in  this,  too,  all  men  in  this 
probationary  state  seem  to  be  more  or  less  engaged, 
from  the  king  on  the  throne  down  to  the  poor  peasant 
in  the  cottage,  writing,  printing,  folding,  transporting, 
paying,  or  reading,  these  silent  little  messengers  of  the 
virgins'  lamp.  "Then  all  those  virgins  arose  and 
trimmed  their  lamps."  Has  not  God's  hand  been  seen 
in  all  this  ?  Yes,  glory  be  to  him  who  hath  disposed 
the  hearts  of  men  to  work  the  work  that  God  bids  them, 
and  to  fulfil  the  blessed  word  which  he  hath  given 
them.  This  institution  took  its  rise  about  the  same 
time  with  the  Bible  society. 

6.  Temperance  societies.  These  serve  one  purpose 
in  trimming  the  lamps  and  preparing  the  way  for  the 


Christ's  second  coming.  247 

virgins  to  go  out  and  meet  the  Bridegroom.  Our  world, 
twenty  years  ago,  might  be  called  a  world  of  fashionable 
drunkards;  almost  all  men  drank  of  the  intoxicating 
bowl,  and  thought  it  no  harm.  But  when  the  lamp  began 
to  dart  its  rays  around  our  tabernacles,  it  was  found  by 
woful  experience  that  those  who  drank  of  the  poisonous 
cup  were  totally  and  wholly  unprepared  to  receive  the 
warning  voice,  or  hear  the  midnight  cry,  "  Behold,  the 
bridegroom  cometh."  No,  "they  that  were  drunken, 
were  drunken  in  the  night,"  says  the  apostle.  "  There- 
fore let  us  watch  and  be  sober."  And  Peter  tells  us, 
"  But  the  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand  ;  be  ye  therefore 
sober,  and  watch  unto  prayer."  How  foolish  would  it 
have  been  for  a  drunken  man  to  be  set  on  a  watch,  or  a 
praying  man  to  be  found  drunk !  Therefore,  in  order 
that  men  might  be  in  a  suitable  frame  of  mind  to  receive 
instruction  at  the  close  of  this  dispensation,  and  be  in  a 
situation  to  listen  to  the  midnight  cry,  God  ordered  the 
virgins,  and  they  arose  and  trimmed  their  lamps  ;  and  in 
all  human  probability  thousands  who  would  have  met  a 
drunkard's  grave  if  this  society  had  not  arose,  are  now 
watching,  with  their  lamps  trimmed  and  burning,  ready 
to  meet  the  Bridegroom  at  his  coming.  Perhaps  this 
temperance  society  is  the  virgins'  last  resort.  The 
Judge  stands  at  the  door ;  go  ye  out  to  meet  him.  This 
society,  like  the  others  before  mentioned,  is  a  general 
thing,  and  all  sects,  denominations,  and  classes  of  men 
are  engaged  in  it,  and  it  has  an  important  influence 
upon  all  men  who  are  in  this  probationary  state,  and 
who  may  be  termed,  as  in  our  text,  "  virgins."  This 
society  is  of  later  origin  than  the  others,  and  seems  to 
be  a  rear  guard  to  wake  up  a  few  stragglers  which  the 
other  societies  could  not  reach.  And  now,  drunkards, 
is  your  time ;  Wisdom  stands  at  the  door  and  knocks  ; 
let  go  the  intoxicating  bowl,  be  sober,  and  hear  the 
midnight  cry,  "  Behold,  the  bridegroom  cometh."  For 
your  souls'  sake  drink  not  another  draught,  lest  he  come 
and  find  you  drunken,  "  and  that  day  come  upon  you 
unawares,  and  find  you  sleeping."  O,  be  wise,  ye  in- 
temperate men,  for  they  only  went  in  to  the  marriage 
who    were   found  ready,  "and   the  door  was  shut*' 


248  LECTURE    XVI. 

"  Then  came  also  the  other  virgins,  saying,  Lord,  Lord, 
open  to  us.  But  he  answered  and  said,  Verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  I  know  you  not.  Watch,  therefore,  for  ye 
know  neither  the  day  nor  the  hour  wherein  the  Son  of 
Man  cometh."  "  But  the  Avise  shall  understand,"  says 
Daniel,  xii.  10. 

And  now,  my  Christian  friends,  let  me  inquire,  Are 
your  lamps  trimmed  and  burning  ?  And  have  you  oil 
in  your  vessels  ?  Are  you  prepared  for  the  coming 
Bridegroom  ?  And  are  you  awake  to  this  important  sub- 
ject ?  What  say  you  ?  If  this  parable,  to  which  I 
have  directed  your  minds,  has  reference  to  the  last  day 
and  the  coming  of  Christ ;  if  the  "  virgins  "has  reference 
to  ail  men  in  this  probationary  state,  and  dividing  them 
into  two  classes,  wise  and  foolish  ;  if  the  "  lamp  "  is  the 
word  of  God,  and  "  oil"  means  faith  in  his  word,  or  grace 
in  the  heart,  as  some  say,  —  then  my  conclusions  are 
just,  and  the  evidence  is  strong  that  we  live  at  the  end 
of  the  gospel  kingdom,  and  upon  the  threshold  of  the 
glorified  state  of  the  righteous.  Then  examine  your 
Bibles,  and  if  you  can  as  fairly  prove  any  other  exposi- 
tion of  this  parable,  as  I  have  this,  then  believe  yours, 
and  time  must  settle  the  issue  ;  but  if  you  can  find  noth- 
ing in  the  Scriptures  to  controvert  plainly  my  explana- 
tion, then  believe,  and  prepare  to  go  out  to  meet  the 
Bridegroom;  for  behold  he  cometh.  Awake,  ye  fathers 
and  mothers  in  Zion ;  you  have  long  looked  and  prayed 
for  this  day.  Behold  the  signs !  He  is  near,  even  at 
the  door.  And,  ye  children  of  God,  lift  up  your  heads 
and  rejoice,  for  your  redemption  draweth  nigh.  For 
these  things  have  begun  to  come  to  pass.  And  ye, 
little  lambs  of  the  flock,  remember  Jesus  has  promised 
to  carry  you  in  his  arms,  and  that  he  will  come  and 
take  you  to  himself,  that  where  he  is  there  ye  may  be 
also.  But  remember,  all  of  you,  the  wise  had  oil  in 
their  lamps,  and  they  were  trimmed  and  burning.  Search 
deep  ;  examine  yourselves  closely,  be  not  deceived  ;  and 
may  the  Spirit  which  searcheth  all  things,  and  knoweth 
what  is  in  the  mind  of  man,  assist  you. 

But,  my  impenitent  friends,  what  shall  I  say  to  you  ? 
Shall  I  say,  as  the  master  in  the  parable,  "  Behold,  the 


Christ's  second  coming.  249 

bridegroom  cometh :  go  ye  out  to  meet  him  "  ?  Prepare 
to  meet  your  Judge.  Now  he  has  given  you  a  time  for 
repentance  ;  you  have  had  a  probationary  season,  and 
possibly  now  the  sceptre  of  mercy  is  held  out  to  you. 
Repent,  or  it  will  soon  be  said  to  you  as  Jeremiah  said 
to  the  virgin,  the  daughter  of  Egypt,  "  In  vain  shalt 
thou  use  many  medicines  ;  for  thou  shalt  not  be  cured  ; " 
or  as  in  the  parable,  "  I  know  you  not."  Have  you  no 
oil  in  your  lamps  ?  Delay  not  a  moment ;  believe  the 
gospel,  and  you  will  live  ;  believe  in  the  word  of  God ; 
receive  the  love  of  the  Bridegroom,  and  make  no  delay  ; 
for  while  they  went  to  buy,  the  bridegroom  came ;  and 
they  that  were  ready  went  in  with  him  to  the  marriage, 
and  the  door  was  shut  O,  think  what  must  be  the 
exercise  of  your  minds  when  these  things  shall  be  real; 
when  you  will  stand  without  and  knock,  saying,  Lord, 
Lord,  open  unto  us.  Again  I  ask,  Will  you  repent,  be- 
lieve, and  be  saved  ?  Are  you  determined  to  resist  the 
truth  until  it  is  too  late  ?  Say,  sinner,  what  think  ye  ? 
"  We  will  risk  the  consequence.  We  do  not  believe 
in  your  day  you  tell  us  of.  The  world  is  the  same  it 
always  was ;  no  change,  nor  ever  will  be ;  but  if  it 
should  come,  it  will  not  this  ten  thousand  years  ;  not  in 
our  day,  certainly.  You  do  not  believe  yourself.  If  you 
did,  we  should  call  you  a  fool." 

Are  these  your  arguments,  sinner  ?  Yes.  Well,  if  I 
had  brought  no  more,  no  stronger  arguments  than  these, 
I  would  not  blame  you  for  not  believing,  for  not  one  of 
yours  can  you  or  have  you  supported  with  a  particle  of 
proof.  They  are  mere  assertions  ;  your  believing  or  not 
believing  will  not  alter  the  designs  of  God.  The  antedi- 
luvians believed  not.  The  citizens  of  the  plain  laughed 
at  the  folly  of  Lot.  And  where  are  they  now  ?  Suffer- 
ing the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire. 


LECTURE    XVII 


LEVITICUS  xxvL  23,  24. 

And  if  ye  will  not  be  reformed  by  me  by  these  things,  bat  will 
walk  contrary  unto  me,  then  will  I  also  walk  contrary  unto  you, 
and  will  punish  you  yet  seven  times  for  your  sins. 


We  are  in  the  habit  of  reading  the  judgments  and 
threatening  in  the  word  of  God,  as  denunciations  against 
some  other  people  but  ourselves.  We  are  very  fond  of 
throwing  back  upon  the  Jews  what,  upon  the  principle 
of  equity  and  justice,  would  equally  belong  to  us  Gen- 
tiles. By  this  mode  of  reasoning,  wicked,  unbelieving 
idolaters,  murderers,  whoremongers,  adulterers,  and  all 
liars,  may  and  do  resist  the  force  of  God's  word,  and  flat- 
ter themselves,  in  their  lustful  career,  that  the  judgment 
is  past,  and  that  they  may  go  on  in  sin  with  impunity. 
But  it  is  not  only  this  abominable  class  of  mankind  who 
pervert  the  word  of  God  to  their  own  condemnation, 
but  many  of  those  who  profess  to  be  pious,  and  even 
teachers  and  expounders  of  the  word,  do  take  the  same 
unholy  ground,  to  limit  the  Holy  One  in  his  justice  and 
judgment.  And  by  this  means  they  not  only  wrest  the 
Scriptures  to  their  own  condemnation,  but  others,  who 
follow  their  pernicious  ways,  are  led  into  the  same  er- 
rors, and  the  way  of  truth  is  evil  spoken  of. 

This  manner  of  expounding  Scripture  has  been  used 
as  the  last  resort  against  my  appeals  to  the  heart  and 
consciences  of  sinners,  to  prepare  to  meet  God  in  judg- 
ment. Let  me  use  what  passage  I  please  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, whether  in  the  Old  or  New  Testament,  these 


Christ's  second  comins,  251 

wicked,  lustful  flatterers  of  mankind,  are  ready,  with  a 
host  of  learned  commentaries,  to  show  that  it  was  applied 
to  the  Jews,  and  to  them  only  ;  and  then  taunt  me  with 
this  witty  saying  —  "What!  you,  an  unlearned  man, 
think  to  teach  us,  contrary  to  our  great  and  learned 
commentators!"  This,  my  friends,  is  the  only  argu- 
ment that  has  ever  been  produced  against  my  warnings, 
and  proofs  of  God's  near  approach  to  judge  the  world  in 
righteousness.  And  here,  too,  I  pledge  myself  to  show 
that  many,  and  perhaps  that,  in  many  cases,  a  major  part, 
of  these  commentators  are  on  my  side  of  the  question. 
I  know  that,  in  the  subject  now  about  to  be  presented, 
this  argument  will  be  used  —  "O!  that  had  reference  to 
the  Jews  only ; "  and  you  will,  like  the  wicked  Jews, 
put  far  off  the  evil  day,  until  you  are  caught  in  the  snare, 
and  perish  in  the  pit.  The  Jews  in  the  days  of  the 
prophets  said,  Ezek.  xii.  27,  "  The  vision  that  he  seeth 
is  for  many  days  to  come,  and  he  prophesieth  of  the 
times  that  are  far  off"  You  see,  in  this  sample  given 
us  of  the  Jews,  that  the  same  ungodly,  wicked  pervert- 
ing, putting  off  on  to  others  what  belongs  to  us  in  the 
visions  and  threatening^  of  God  against  sin,  was  mani- 
festly the  character  of  the  Jews  in  that  day,  as  it  is 
in  ours.  The  difference  is  only  circumstantial. 
They  put  it  off  a  great  while  to  come  ;  we,  a  great  while 
back.  They  cast  it  forward  on  to  the  backs  of  the  Gen- 
tiles ;  we  throw  it  back  into  the  faces  of  the  Jews. 
This  is  the  wicked  disposition  of  man  m  his  natural 
(state —  self-righteous  and  self-justificatory.  Therefore, 
use  this  weapon  if  you  please;  it  will  only  discover  to 
angels  and  men  your  true  character,  and  God's  justice 
in  your  condemnation.  "He  that  covereth  his  sins 
shall  not  prosper ;  but  whoso  confesseth  and  forsaketh 
them  shall  have  mercy,"  Prov.  xxviii.  13.  Yet  we  shall 
find  some  things,  at  least,  true, —  that  the  law  of  God 
and  punishment  for  sin  are  the  same  in  all  ages,  and 
will  be  the  same  in  all  eternity.  If  the  sins  of  the  old 
world  brought  the  flood  and  destruction  upon  the  un- 
godly, so  will  the  sins  of  the  present  world,  if  committed 
in  the  same  ungodly  spirit,  bring  down  similar  judgments 


252  LECTURE    XVII. 

and  destruction  upon  us.  If  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and 
the  cities  of  the  plain,  were  destroyed  for  their  abuse  of 
the  blessings  which  God  had  given  them,  so  shall  we  be 
destroyed  for  our  abuse  of  similar  ones.  And  if  the 
Jews,  for  their  pride,  arrogance,  self-sufficiency,  idolatry, 
and  departure  from  the  known  commands  of  God's  house, 
were  punished  with  the  sword,  pestilence,  captivity  and 
persecution ;  so,  most  assuredly,  will  the  people  of  God, 
in  every  age,  whether  under  Jews  or  Gentiles,  suffer  the 
like  or  similar  judgments.  This  can  be  proved  abun- 
dantly in  all  parts  of  the  word  of  God,  and  in  the  history 
of  the  church  in  every  age.  And  did  we  not  pervert 
the  word  of  God  to  support  our  sectarian  principles,  and 
to  gratify  our  lustful  appetites,  we  might  foresee  the 
consequence  of  apostasy  from  God,  his  laws  and  com- 
mands ;  as  we  can  foresee  the  effects  of  any  or  all  the 
laws  of  nature,  with  which  we  are  so  well  acquainted. 
When  leaves  put  forth  we  know  that  summer  is  nigh. 
When  the  wind  blows  long  from  the  south  we  know  it 
will  bring  rain.  Just  so  true  are  all  the  moral  laws  of 
God.  Sin  will  bring  death,  and  pride  must  bring  a  fall. 
The  laws  of  God's  house  are  equally  as  permanent  as 
the  laws  of  nature ;  and  grace  or  mercy,  call  it  which 
you  please,  are  founded  upon  the  law  of  cause  and  ef- 
fect as  strong  as  the  laws  of  adhesion  and  repulsion. 
Go  where  you  will,  —  climb  up  to  heaven,  or  dig  into 
the  depths  of  hell,  —  you  will  find  an  immovable,  fixed, 
and  an  eternal  law  of  cause  and  effect.  Let  a  man  love 
his  Maker,  obey  his  laws,  and  he  is  happy.  Let  him 
love  self  only,  and  disobey  the  laws  and  commands  of 
God,  and  misery  is  the  lot  of  his  inheritance,  although 
the  world  was  at  his  command.  Here,  then,  is  the  great 
secret,  that  mankind  must  be  reformed,  or  they  can 
never  be  happy ;  in  one  word,  they  must  be  born  of  the 
Spirit,  or  they  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  text  is  a  prophecy  of  God  himself,  given  to  Mo- 
ses, and  by  him  revealed  to  the  people;  and  is  a  part  of 
those  lively  oracles  which  has  been  continued  as  bind- 
ing upon  us,  who  live  under  the  gospel  light,  as  upon 
them  who  lived  in  the  days  of  the  typical  priesthood. 


Christ's  second  coming.  253 

It  is  a  prophecy  of  what  would  happen  to  the  people  of 
God  as  a  punishment  for  conduct  therein  specified.  I 
shall,  therefore,  in  explanation  of  our  subject,  show, 

I.  For  what  the  people  of  God  are  punished  ; 

II.  Show  how  they  are  punished  ;  and, 

III.  The  time  they  will  be  punished. 

I.  First,  then,  we  are  to  examine  the  cause  of  their 
punishment.  The  text  tells  us  that  it  is  because  they 
"  will  not  be  reformed  by  me  by  these  things,  but  will 
walk  contrary  unto  me;"  that  is,  unto  God. 

1st.  A  perverse  will.  We  should  suppose  that  a  man 
who  has  had  his  will  subdued  by  the  love  and  Spirit  of 
God,  could  not  be  in  possession  of  a  will  so  diametri- 
cally opposed  to  the  will  of  God.  Yet  history  and  fact3 
show  us  plainly  that  it  is  so.  David,  a  man  after  God's 
own  heart,  did  perform,  by  his  own  will,  that  which  was 
strictly  forbidden  in  the  law  and  commands  of  God. 
Peter,  too,  after  his  Lord  told  him  he  was  every  whit 
clean,  and  after  he  boldly  asserted  that,  if  all  men  should 
forsake  Christ,  he  would"  not,  immediately  and  willingly, 
as  it  is  implied,  cursed  and  swore,  and  said  he  knew  not 
the  man.  I  am  aware  that  the  theory  of  the  present  day 
is  contrary  to  the  idea  that  the  Christian  has  two  wills, 
carnal  and  spiritual ;  but,  upon  this  theory,  I  cannot  ac- 
count for  the  idea  of  Christians  being  punished  at  all, 
either  on  the  principle  of  justice  or  equity.  Therefore  I 
am  constrained  to  believe  that,  in  the  heart  of  a  Chris- 
tian, there  are  two  wills.  Sometimes  he  is  in  subjection 
to  the  will  of  God,  and  enjoys  the  sweets  of  reconcilia- 
tion ;  and  again  his  own  will  governs  and  controls  his 
acts;*and  he  must  feel  the  chastising  rod  of  his  heavenly 
Father  for  his  wilful  disobedience  or  neglect  of  his  reli- 
gious duty.  It  cannot  be  the  will  of  God  that  his  peo- 
ple "will  not  be  reformed  by  him."  Here  is  another 
idea  conveyed  in  our  text,  which  shows  that  the  heart  of 
a  Christian  is  not  wholly  pure,  —  "  will  not  be  reformed 
by  God;"  showing  the  same  independent  spirit  that  our 
primitive  father  and  mother  did  in  the  fall,  "to  be  as 
gods."  We  cannot  bear  the  idea  of  being  dependent 
on  God  for  our  reformation.  Let  us  have  the  power  of 
doing  it  ourselves,  and  we  will  not  reject  it ;  but  to  say 
22 


254  LECTURE    XVII. 

we  are  wholly  dependent  on  God  is  a  hard  doctrine:  we 
will  not  subscribe  to  such  humiliating  terms.  How  can 
we  tell  sinners  to  reform,  if  they  cannot  do  it  ?  "  Where 
is  my  guilt?  If  I  cannot  reform  myself,  surely  God 
would  be  unjust  to  condemn  me  for  not  doing  what  1 
cannot  do."  And  thus  you  argue,  throwing  all  the 
blame  upon  God,  when  all  that  God  has  required  in  the 
text,  is,  that  you  should  be  willing  that  he  should  do  the 
work  of  reformation  for  you.  And  surely  God  must  be 
the  best  workman  of  the  two.  God  says  he  punishes  us, 
for  "ye  will  not  be  reformed  by  me."  This,  my  Chris- 
tian friend,,  is  our  crime,  for  which  the  church  has  been 
and  will  be  punished  seven  times.  "  And  if  ye  will  not 
be  reformed  by  me  by  these  things."  What  does  God 
mean  by  «  these  things  "  ?  I  answer,  It  is  God  does  the 
work,  and  he  means  his  people  shall  give  him  the  glory ; 
and  when  they  have  passed  through  the  furnace  of  af- 
fliction, and  when  seven  times  has  passed  over  them,  as 
it  did  over  Nebuchadnezzar,  then  will  the  church,  like 
that  proud  monarch,  learn  that  God  rules  in  heaven  and 
earth.  But  could  we  be  willing  to  learn  this  lesson 
without  this  punishment,  «  by  these  things,"  that  is,  by 
the  word  of  God,  by  the  preached  gospel,  by  the  mercies 
of  God,  by  blessings  of  heaven  from  above,  by  blessings 
of  the  earth  beneath,  by  the  love  of  God,  by  the  death 
of  Christ,  by  the  ministry  of  angels,  by  the  strivings  of 
the  Holy  Spirit ;  in  one  word,  by  all  the  means  of  grace ; 
if  all  these  things  could  teach  us  that  God  was  the  Au- 
thor and  Finisher  of  our  faith,  and  make  us  willing  to 
be  reformed  by  him,  —  then,  indeed,  he  would  not  have 
punished  us.  But,  alas !  without  chastisements  we 
should  be  "  bastards,  and  not  sons."  Therefore  the 
cause  why  the  Christian  must  be  punished,  —  to  subdue 
their  proud,  rebellious  wills,  to  humble  their  haughty 
and  selfish  hearts.  They  must  suffer  all  that  wicked 
men  or  devils  can  heap  upon  them,  they  must  fill  up  the 
measure  of  Christ's  sufferings  in  his  body,  which  is  the 
church,  in  order  to  make  them  fit  for  heaven  or  happi- 
ness. They  must,  like  gold,  be  seven  times  purified. 
As  I  have  before  said,  all  the  mercies  of  God,  and  bless- 
ings of  heaven  and  earth,  could  not  save  the  church 


Christ's  second  coming.  255 

without  the  curse  and  punishment  denounced  in  the 
word  of  God.  And  these,  too,  must  be  managed  by  that 
all-powerful  Arm,  the  great  Jehovah,  who,  by  his  wisdom 
and  power,  by  his  grace  and  rod,  will  make  all  things 
work  for  the  good  of  his  church,  and  will  finally  redound 
to  his  glory.  And  at  last  it  will  be  said,  "  These  have 
come  through  great  tribulation,  having  washed  their 
robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

II.  I  am  to  show  how  they  are  punished. 

1st.  They  are  punished  by  their  own  deeds.  David 
went  with  broken  bones  to  his  grave ;  and  Peter,  when 
his  Lord  looked  upon  him,  went  out  and  wept  bitterly. 
Paul  had  a  thorn  in  his  flesh  lest  he  should  be  exalted 
above  measure.  The  Jews  courted  an  alliance  with 
Babylon,  and  by  that  means  were  led  into  bondage  and 
captivity  many  years.  They,  contrary  to  God's  express 
command,  afterwards  made  a  league  with  the  Romans, 
and  by  them  was  their  city  and  sanctuary  destroyed, 
and  their  nation  scattered  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven. 
The  church,  after  the  Christian  era,  courted  the  popular 
favor  of  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  immediately  suffered 
the  ten  persecutions.  She  afterwards  sought  for  secular 
power  for  her  bishops,  and  by  the  same  power  was 
driven  into  the  wilderness,  and  passed  through  a  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  sixty  years  of  torture,  darkness, 
and  death.  The  church,  recently,  has  been  courting 
popularity  from  the  world,  raising  up  a  learned  ministry, 
worshipping  at  the  shrine  of  ancient  and  modern  philos- 
ophy ;  and  already  her  ranks  are  broken,  her  piety  on 
the  wane,  her  efforts  paralyzed,  and  infidelity  gaining 
ground. 

2d.  By  wicked  and  designing  men.  Let  us  remem- 
ber how  Balaam  taught  Balak  to  cast  stumbling-blocks 
before  the  children  of  Israel.  Witness  the  false  proph- 
ets in  the  days  of  the  kings  of  Israel ;  also  the  wicked 
and  designing  men  in  the  days  of  Jeremiah  and  the 
prophets ;  and,  finally,  the  division  and  subdivision  by 
wicked  men  at  the  final  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  See 
some,  also,  in  the  apostles'  days  — "  false  apostles,  de- 
ceitful workers,  transforming  themselves  into  the  apos- 
tles of  Christ,  2  Cor.  xi.  13 ;  some,  also,  "  who  subvert- 


256  LECTURE    XVII. 

ed  whole  houses,  teaching  things  they  ought  not  for 
filthy  lucre's  sake,"  Titus  i.  11;  others,  who  crept  into 
houses,  leading  captive  silly  women  laden  with  divers 
lusts ;  some,  teaching  the  doctrines  and  commandments 
of  men,  bringing  in  damnable  heresies,  and  denying  the 
Lord  that  bought  them.  And  from  that  day  unto  this, 
in  every  age,  and  in  every  church,  division,  wounds,  and 
putrefying  sores,  have  been  experienced  through  false, 
wicked,  and  designing  professors. 

3d.  The  church  has  been  punished  by  the  kings  and 
rulers  of  this  world.  There  was  a  season,  in  the  days 
of  David  and  Solomon,  and  after  her  deliverance  from 
Egyptian  bondage  under  Moses  and  Joshua,  and  so  on 
down  to  the  days  of  Manasseh,  when  the  church,  the 
people  of  God,  were  governed  by  their  own  rulers  and 
laws  in  a  great  measure.  But  since  the  days  of  Ma- 
nasseh not  a  moment  has  she  enjoyed  of  respite,  but  has 
been  scattered  among  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  as 
Jeremiah  the  prophet  has  prophesied  she  would.  Jer 
xv.  4,  "  And  I  will  cause  them  to  be  removed  into  all 
kingdoms  of  the  earth,  because  of  Manasseh,  the  son  of 
Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah,  for  that  which  he  did  in  Jeru- 
salem." Here  began  the  "  scattering  of  the  power  of 
the  holy  people,"  and  when  seven  times  shall  be  accom- 
plished, then  all  "  these  things"  shall  be  finished ;  that 
is,  the  church  will  then  have  passed  the  ordeal  of  trial 
and  chastisement.  "  Manasseh  made  Judah  and  the  in- 
habitants of  Jerusalem  to  err,  and  to  do  worse  than  the 
heathen."  "  Wherefore  the  Lord  brought  upon  them  the 
captains  of  the  host  of  the  king  of  Assyria,  which  took 
Manasseh  among  the  thorns,  and  bound  him  with  fetters, 
and  carried  him  to  Babylon.  And  when  he  was  in  af- 
fliction, he  besought  the  Lord  his  God,  and  humbled 
himself  greatly  before  the  God  of  his  fathers,"  2  Chron. 
xxxiii.  9 — 12.  We  learn  in  this  passage  the  cause  and 
effect.  The  cause  of  their  captivity  was  their  errors 
and  wicked  conduct  The  effect  was  their  captivity  to 
the  kings  of  Babylon,  and  their  humility  in  their  afflic- 
tion. And  although  Manasseh  was  restored  to  his  king- 
dom again  after  his  humiliation,  yet  the  children  of  Ju- 
dah and  Jerusalem  were  never  free  from  the  Babylonish 


CHRIST  S    SECOND    COMING.  257 

yoke  again  while  the  kingdom  of  Babylon  stood,  but  had 
to  pay  them  tribute  until  the  Medes  and  Persians  con- 
quered Babylon,  which  was  about  one  hundred  and  forty 
years  after  the  first  captivity  in  Babylon  of  Judah  and 
Jerusalem.  Then  the  Medes  and  Persians  reigned 
over  the  Jews,  and  made  them  pay  tribute,  and  put 
a  yoke  of  bondage  upon  them,  until  Alexander  the 
Grecian  conquered  them,  about  two  hundred  and  two 
years  afterwards ;  when  the  Grecians  became  the  mas- 
ters of  Judea,  and  continued  the  yoke  of  bondage,  car- 
rying away  into  captivity  many  of  the  principal  citizens 
of  Jerusalem,  and  obliging  them  to  pay  tribute,  and  their 
young  men  to  serve  as  soldiers  in  their  armies ;  destroy- 
ing their  riches,  defiling  their  sanctuary,  and  compelling 
them  to  worship  their  gods,  and  sacrifice  to  their  idols. 
This  government  lasted  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven 
years,  when  the  Romans  made  the  Grecian  general 
Bacchides  withdraw  his  army  from  Jerusalem,  and  never 
trouble  the  Jews  any  more,  as  Maccabees  tells  us  in 
his  first  book,  viii.  31,  32 ;  also,  ix.  1,  72,  73.  This  was 
one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  years  before  Christ;  the 
Babylonians,  Medes  and  Persians,  and  Grecians,  having 
each  in  their  turn  ruled  over  and  led  into  captivity, 
robbed  and  spoiled  the  children  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem, 
and  scattered  them  among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
as  Moses  and  all  the  prophets  had  foretold ;  in  all,  from 
the  captivity  of  Manasseh,  five  hundred  and  nineteen 
years. 

No  man  can  read  this  prophecy,  from  which  our  text 
is  taken,  and  the  other  prophets  who  have  spoken  of 
these  things,  and  understand  them  literally,  and  then 
read  the  history  of  the  world,  and  compare  them  together 
carefully,  and  let  reason  decide,  and  be  an  infidel.  It 
would  be  impossible.  The  devil  knows  this  ;  and,  there- 
fore, he  uses  all  the  art  he  is  master  of  to  prevent  those 
whom  he  wishes  to  destroy  from  reading  the  prophecies. 
He  tells  them  they  are  dark  and  intricate.  And  if  this 
argument  succeeds  it  is  well ;  he  is  sure  of  his  prey. 
But  if  they  reason  on  the  subject,  and  say,  "  If  God  has 
revealed  himself  by  the  prophets,  it  must  be  for  our 
good  ;  and  if  God  is  wise,  as  all  agree  he  is,  if  there  is 
22* 


258  LECTURE    XVII. 

a  God,  then  it  must  be  in  the  best  possible  manner  for 
man  to  understand.  I  will  examine  and  see."  He  then 
tells  them  it  is  presumption  to  look  into  futurity.  "  If 
you  succeed  in  discovering  the  things  to  come,  it  will 
only  make  you  miserable."  Should  this  temptation  pre- 
vent you  from  reading  and  trying  to  understand,  still  he 
is  sure  of  his  prey.  You  "  will  not  be  reformed  by  these 
things."  But  suppose  you  let  reason  work,  and  think, 
"If  God  is  speaking  by  his  prophets  to  us,  surely  it 
would  be  sin  not  to  hear ;  for  he  has  a  legal  right  to  our 
ears  and  attention ;  and  only  if  our  equal  speaks  to  us,  on 
any  good  or  interesting  subject,  it  is  a  piece  of  ill  manners 
not  to  listen.  I  will  read  and  hear  what  God  says  by 
the  mouth  of  his  servants."  Then  the  devil  will  tell 
you  that  it  is  a  sealed  book,  —  not  to  be  understood  un- 
til it  is  fulfilled.  But  reason  will  tell  you,  What  God 
has  given  for  our  faith  and  hope  cannot  be  sealed  in 
this  sense;  for  it  would  all  be  lost  labor  in  the  prophets 
of  God,  and  perfect  folly  in  the  Giver ;  for  the  history 
itself  would  reveal  it  as  soon  and  as  well  as  the  proph- 
ecy could.  And,  in  that  case,  says  reason,  faith  and 
hope  would  have  no  food ;  for,  without  prophecy,  neither 
the  one  nor  the  other  could  be  exercised ;  for  in  what  we 
know,  how  can  it  be  said  we  have  faith  ?  or,  in  what  is 
past,  how  can  it  be  said  we  hope  for  it  ?  Then,  if  these 
temptations  do  not  prevent  you  from  reading  and  trying 
to  understand  the  prophecies,  Satan  has  one  more  weap- 
on, and  it  is  his  last  resort.  "  But,"  says  the  arch  ene- 
my, "  if  you  are  but  prepared  for  happiness  or  heaven, 
it  is  no  matter  whether  you  understand  prophecy  or  not." 
This  secures  and  chains  down  the  hypocrite  and  Phari- 
see forever ;  this  is  turning  things  upside  down  at  once. 
For  there  never  were  hypocrites  or  Pharisees  but  what 
vainly  imagined  that  they  were,  of  all  men,  best  pre- 
pared for  heaven;  and  so  they  will  neither  try  their 
faith,  nor  examine  their  hope,  if  they  follow  this  temp- 
tation, until  they  awake  in  eternity,  forever  too  late. 
While,  on  the  other  hand,  there  never  were  real  chil- 
dren of  God,  but  what  considered  themselves  unfit  for 
heaven,  the  vilest  of  the  vile  ;  and  if  they  should  take 
up  with  this  device  of  Satan,  they  must  finally  end  in 


Christ's  second  coming.  259 

despair ;  for  they  could  gain  no  additional  evidence  of 
their  faith  or  hope,  only  by  a  diligent  study  of  God's 
prophetic  word.  So  that  I  can  boldly  say,  that  reason 
itself  would  teach  us  that  we  ought  to  apply  ourselves 
diligently  and  faithfully  to  try  our  faith  by  every  word 
of  God,  and  examine  our  hope  in  every  possible  way  in 
searching  deep  into  the  revealed  truths,  whether  prom- 
ises or  prophecies,  that  the  day  of  vengeance  may  not 
overtake  us  unawares. 

But  not  only  the  church  under  the  Jewish  dispensa- 
tion must  pass  through  her  scenes  of  tribulation,  but  so, 
also,  must  the  church  under  the  gospel ;  for  John  saw 
not  only  the  elect  Jews  in  his  vision  of  the  glorified 
state,  but  also  a  great  number,  which  no  man  could 
number,  from  among  all  nations  and  languages  under 
heaven,  "  who  had  come  through  great  tribulation,  and 
who  had  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  And,  again,  it  is  also  evident 
that,  like  the  Jews,  they  must  suffer  persecution  from 
the  kings  and  rulers  of  the  earth,  and  from  spiritual 
wickedness  in  high  places.  For  John  "  saw  the  beast, 
and  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  their  armies,  gathered 
together  to  make  war  against  him  that  sat  on  the  horse, 
and  against  his  army,"  Rev.  xix.  19.  And  Daniel  saw 
the  same  beast  "  make  war  with  the  saints,  and  prevailed 
over  them  until  the  Ancient  of  days  came,  and  judg- 
ment was  given  to  the  saints  of  the  Most  High ;  and  the 
time  came  that  the  saints'  possessed  the  kingdom.  Thus 
he  said,  "  The  fourth  beast  is  the  fourth  kingdom  upon 
earth,"  Dan.  vii.  21 — 23,  meaning  the  Roman  kingdom. 

We  must  also  notice  that,  like  the  Jews,  they  must  be 
scattered  among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth ;  for  here 
they  are  to  have  no  continuing  city,  for  they  seek  one 
which  is  to  come,  whose  Builder  and  Maker  is  God," 
Hebrews  xi.  10 ;  that  is,  the  New  Jerusalem,  which  cometh 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven.  The  proof  I  bring  you 
that  the  church  among  the  Gentiles  were  like  the  Jews, 
you  will  find  in  the  prophecy  of  the  high  priest,  when 
our  Savior  was  crucified,  John  xi.  52,  "  And  not  for  that 
nation  only,  (that  is,  the  Jews,)  but  that  also  he  should 
gather  together  in  one  the  children  of  God  that  were 


S60  LECTURE   XVII. 

scattered  abroad.1'  Also  it  is  said,  Mark  xiv.  27,  "  smite 
the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  shall  be  scattered."  And 
when  Christ  comes  to  judge  the  saints,  at  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  just,  he  sends  his  angels  into  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth,  and  under  the  uttermost  part  of 
heaven,  and  gathers  together  his  elect,  who  have  been 
scattered  by  the  kings  and  beasts  of  the  earth  during  the 
dark  and  cloudy  day  of  persecution,  from  his  crucifixion 
to  his  second  coming. 

And  if,  in  view  of  all  that  Christ,  the  prophets,  and 
apostles,  have  said  in  relation  to  this  subject,  there  is 
one  doubt  remaining  on  your  mind  as  to  the  truth  of 
these  remarks;  I  beg  of  you  to  read  but  the  past  history 
of  the  church,  and  you  cannot  but  acknowledge,  that, 
thus  far,  it  has  been  literally  fulfilled.  How  soon  after 
the  Romans  had  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory,  did  they 
attack  his  church ;  and  for  nearly  three  hundred  years 
the  apostles  and  eminent  servants  of  Christ  suffered  all 
the  horrors  of  persecution  by  the  authority  of  the  Roman 
emperors  and  kings  of  the  earth.  They  suffered  in  all 
manner  of  ways  which  the  prophets  had  foretold  they 
would  —  by  the  sword,  by  wild  beasts,  by  flame,  by  cap- 
tivity, and  by  spoil.  This  was  almost  constantly  until 
the  days  of  Constantine,  who  for  a  little  season  put  a  stop 
to  these  bloody  scenes ;  but  it  was  but  short ;  for  in  the 
days  of  Julian  the  Apostate,  it  was  renewed,  and  con- 
tinued until  the  barbarians  of  the  north  overran  Italy, 
and  conquered  the  Roman  empire.  Then  the  church  suf- 
fered the  same  trials  under  her  new  masters,  the  ten 
kings,  until  they  were  converted  to  the  Christian  faith, 
when  she  enjoyed  another  respite  of  about  thirty  years 
after  the  downfall  of  Paganism,  and  before  the  rise  of 
Papacy,  between  the  years  A.  D.  508  and  538.  But  now 
arose  the  little  horn,  (Papacy,)  which  was  to  make  war 
against  the  saints,  and  prevail  over  them  until  the 
Ancient  of  days  should  come,  and  the  judgment  should 
sit.  This  little  horn  was  to  rule  over  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  a  time,  times,  and  a  half,  or  1280  years ;  all  which 
has  been  accomplished  to  the  letter. 

III.  I  shall  now  show  what  is  meant  by  "  seven  times," 
in  the  text 


Christ's  second  coming.  261 

1st.  "  Seven  times,"  in  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream,  was 
fulfilled  in  seven  years.  Nebuchadnezzar,  for  his  pride 
and  arrogancy  against  God,  was  driven  among  the  beasts 
of  the  field,  and  was  made  to  eat  grass  as  oxen,  until 
seven  times  passed  over  him,  and  until  he  learned  that 
the  Most  High  ruled  in  the  kingdoms  of  men,  and  gave 
it  to  whomsoever  he  would.  This  being  a  matter  of 
history,  and  as  an  allegory  or  sample  to  the  people  of 
God  for  their  pride  and  arrogancy,  in  refusing  to  be  re- 
formed by  God,  and  claiming  the  power  and  will  to  do 
these  things  themselves,  —  they,  too,  like  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, must  be  driven  among  the  beasts  of  the  field, 
(meaning  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,)  until  they  learn  the 
sovereignty  of  God,  and  that  he  dispenses  his  favors 
to  whomsoever  he  will.  That,  being  a  matter  of  history, 
and  a  sample  only,  was  fulfilled  in  seven  years  ;  but  this, 
being  a  prophecy,  will  only  be  fulfilled  in  seven  prophet- 
ic times,  which  will  be  7  times  360  years,  which  will 
make  2520  years  ;  for  one  half  of  7  times,  that  is,  3  times 
and  a  half,  is  called,  in  Rev.  xii.  6, 1260  days,  (fulfilled  in 
so  many  years.)  See  also  Rev.  xii.  14.  xiii.  5.  Forty-two 
months  is  the  one  half  of  2520,  for  twice  1260  is  2520. 
Therefore  the  sum  and  substance  of  the  whole  is,  that 
the  people  of  God  would  be  among  the  beasts,  or  kings 
of  the  earth,  seven  times,  which  is  2520  years,  one  half 
of  which  time  they  would  be  under  literal  Babylon, 
which  means  the  ruling  kings  of  the  earth,  viz.  1260 
years ;  and  the  other  half  under  mystical  Babylon,  the 
mother  of  harlots,  the  abomination  of  the  whole  earth, 
1260  years;  making  in  all  2520  years.  Therefore 
seven  times  would  the  people  of  God  be  punished  for 
their  sins,  to  fill  up  the  measure  of  the  sufferings  of 
Christ,  before  they  would  be  delivered  from  all  their 
enemies,  and  come  into  possession  of  the  glorified  king- 
dom which  was  prepared  for  them  from  the  foundation 
of  the  earth.  And  Ezekiel  alludes  to  the  same  "  seven 
times,"  Ezek.  xxxix.  9,  10,  "  And  they  that  dwell  in  the 
cities  of  Israel  shall  go  forth,  Jerem.  xv.  1 — 3,  and  shall 
set  on  fire  and  burn  the  weapons,  Jer.  v.  14,  both  the 
shields  and  the  bucklers,  the  bows  and  the  arrows,  and 
the  handstaves  and  the  spears,  and  they  shall  burn  them 


362  LECTURE    XVII. 

with  fire  seven  years ;  so  that  they  shall  take  no  wood 
out  of  the  field,  nor  cut  down  any  out  of  the  forests  ;  for 
they  shall  burn  the  weapons  with  fire  ;  and  they  shall 
spoil  those  that  spoiled  them,  and  rob  those  that  robbed 
them,  saith  the  Lord  God."  Ezekiel  here  gives  us  to 
understand  that,  by  means  of  the  people  of  God  being 
driven  out  of  their  cities,  and  by  the  word  of  God,  they 
would  be  enabled  to  destroy  or  be  destroying  their  ene- 
mies, and  to  spoil  those  who  had  been  spoiling  them, 
and  rob  those  who  had  robbed  them;  and  this,  too,  would 
take  seven  years,  or  2520  days;  and,  Ezekiel  being 
commanded  to  reckon  each  day  for  a  year,  iv.  4 — 6,  then 
it  would  be  2520  years. 

The  proper  question  would  now  be,  "  When  did  those 
years  begin  ?  "  I  answer,  They  must  have  begun  with 
the  first  captivity  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  inhabitants 
of  Jerusalem,  in  Babylon;  for  all  the  prophets  agree 
in  this  thing,  that  Babylon  would  be  the  kingdom  which 
would  carry  the  Jews  into  captivity.  See  Jeremiah  xv. 
4.  "  And  I  will  cause  them  to  be  removed  into  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth,  because  of  Manasseh,  the  son  of 
Hezekiah  king  of  Judah,  for  that  which  he  did  in  Je- 
rusalem." Also  let  those  who  wish  to  read  more  on 
this  subject,  read  Jeremiah,  chapter  21st  to  the  29th,  in- 
clusive ;  and  the  prophecy  of  Ezekiel,  from  the  beginning 
of  the  1st  chapter  to  the  end  of  the  39th  chapter ;  also 
the  chapter  in  which  is  our  text; — and  we  cannot  for 
a  moment  doubt  but  that  Babylon  is  the  nation  which 
was  to  make  desolate  Judah  and  Jerusalem. 

Then,  if  Babylon  was  the  nation  which  was  to  scatter 
the  people  of  God,  and  this,  too,  in  the  days  of  Manasseh, 
1  ask,  When  was  this  captivity  ?  I  answer,  In  the  year 
677  before  Christ ;  see  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  9 — 13;  see  also 
the  Bible  chronology  of  that  event ;  this  being  the  first 
captivity  of  Judah  in  Babylon.  Then  take  677  years, 
which  were  before  Christ,  from  2520  years,  which  in- 
cludes the  whole  "seven  times,"  or  "seven  years," 
prophetic,  and  the  remainder  will  be  1843  after  Christ ; 
showing  that  the  people  of  God  will  be  gathered  from 
among  all  nations,  and  the  kingdom  and  greatness  of 
the   kingdom  will  be  given  to  the  saints  of  the  Most 


Christ's  second  coming.  263 

High ;  mystical  Babylon  will  be  destroyed  by  the 
brightness  of  his  coming ;  and  sin,  and  suffering  for 
sin,  will  be  finished  to  those  who  look  for  his  coming. 
"  And  this  spake  he  not  of  himself :  but  being  high  priest 
that  year,  he  prophesied  that  Jesus  should  die  for  that 
nation ;  and  not  for  that  nation  only,  but  that  also  he 
should  gather  together  in  one  the  children  of  God  that 
were  scattered  abroad,"  John  xi.  51,  52. 

Yes,  dear  hearer,  to  them  that  look  for  his  appearing, 
Christ  will  come  the  second  time  without  sin  unto  sal- 
vation. "  And  can  it  be  possible,"  says  the  dear  child 
of  God,  "  that  that  day  is  so  near  as  1843  ?  It  is  too 
good  news  for  me  to  believe.  Yet  the  evidence  is  very 
strong ;  it  seems  clear.  I  really  believe  I  shall  watch  for 
it  with  a  good  deal  of  anxiety.  And  if  it  should  not 
come,  I  shall,  I  feel  now,  be  somewhat  disappointed." 
Yes,  1  am  satisfied,  this  is  the  language  of  every  Chris- 
tian heart. 

"  But,"  says  another,  "  it  is  all  visionary.  I  do  not 
believe  it.  And  if  I  had  any  idea  that  it  would  be  so, 
I  could  not  take  another  moment's  comfort  of  my  life. 
What,  the  judgment  day  within  seven  years  ?  *  I  cannot 
bear  the  thought  ?  I  will  drive  such  thoughts  from  my 
mind.  To  you,  whoever  you  are,  whether  professor  or 
non-professor,  who  in  your  heart  think  such  thoughts  as 
these,  I  have  one  word  to  say.  Your  standing  is  des- 
perate indeed.  I  am  bold  to  tell  you,  you  love  not 
Jesus.  Every  moment,  then,  you  delay  coming  to  God 
through  Jesus  Christ,  may  be  big  with  eternal  conse- 
quences, even  as  the  day  of  judgment,  for  aught  you  or 
I  can-tell.  For  instance,  this  may  be  the  last  moment 
the  Holy  Spirit  will  ever  strive ;  it  may  be  the  last 
moment  of  reason;  it  may  be  the  last  moment  of  life ; 
it  may  be  the  last  moment  of  time  ;  and  you  unprepared  ! 
O  God,  reform  these  blinded  souls,  "  who  will  not  be 
reformed  by  thee,  nor  by  these  things,"  or  everlasting 
punishment  will  be  their  doom. 

*  These  Lectures  were  first  published  in  1836. 


LECTURE   XVIII. 


SOLOMON'S  SONG  viii.  5. 

Who  is  th  s  that  cometh  up  from  the  wilderness,  leaning  upon  her 
beloved  ? 


The  text  is  a  passage  of  divine  inspiration,  which 
strikes  the  mind  of  the  hearer  or  reader  with  more  than 
ordinary  power  and  force ;  and  is  propounded  by  way 
of  question,  as  though  in  the  answer  we  might  receive 
much  instruction  and  useful  knowledge.  It  is  truly  so ; 
and  may  the  Spirit  of  God  assist  us  to  gather  honey  from 
this  beautiful  flower  from  the  wilderness.  We  find  it  in 
the  Songs  of  Solomon,  which  are  highly  figurative  and 
allegorical,  and  were  when  composed  presented  in  poems 
or  songs  ;  but  by  reason  of  the  translation  they  have 
come  to  us  in  prose. 

Some  have  supposed,  that  when  Solomon  composed 
this  Song,  or  Songs,  they  were  composed  for  dramatical 
performances,  either  as  preludes,  interludes,  or  epi- 
logues. But  I  am  of  opinion  that  it  was  composed  for  a 
prophetic  song  of  Christ  and  his  church.  But  be  that  as 
it  may,  they  certainly  do  represent,  in  rich  and  beautiful 
figures,  the  character  and  love  of  Christ  for  his  church ; 
likewise,  her  character  and  love  towards  her  divine  Mas- 
ter, her  connection  to  him,  and  her  dependence  upon 
him  in  this  state  of  trial.  That  the  church  has  been,  and 
will  be,  in  a  state  of  trial  as  long  as  she  remains  imper- 
fect, cannot  be  doubted  by  any  man  of  common  reflec- 
tion, perception,  or  knowledge. 

She  has  enjoyed  her  seasons  of  prosperity ;  and  has 
been  strongly  tried  in  scenes  of  adversity.    In  tracing 


Christ's  second  coming.  265 

her  history  from  the  patriarch  Abraham  to  the  present 
day,  we  find  her  variable  as  the  wind,  and  changeable  as 
the  weather. 

To-day,  she  is  coming  up  out  of  the  wilderness  lean- 
ing on  the  arm  of  her  beloved  ;  to-morrow,  "  like  a  young 
roe  leaping  upon  the  mountains,  and  skipping  upon  the 
hills." 

Now  she  is  seen  among  the  trees  of  the  woods ;  next 
in  a  palace  of  silver  inclosed  in  boards  of  cedar. 

There  we  saw  her  in  the  clefts  of  the  rock ;  here  we 
behold  her  in  the  broad  way,  in  the  streets  of  the  great 
city. 

Again  we  find  her  among  the  foxes  of  the  desert ; 
and  anon  we  perceive  her  seeking  him  whom  her  soul 
loveth. 

She  is  asleep  on  her  bed  by  night;  and  the  same 
night  the  watch  finds  her  in  the  city. 

Behold  her  Lord,  knocking  at  the  door  for  admittance, 
while  she  is  too  indolent  to  arise  and  let  him  in.  The 
next  moment  she  is  opening  to  her  beloved  ;  but  he  had 
withdrawn  himself.  At  one  time  the  voice  of  her  be- 
loved sounding  over  the  hills,  and  echoing  among  the 
mountains  like  the  roar  of  distant  thunder,  has  no  impres- 
sion ;  next  the  soft  whisper  of  love  gains  all  her  atten- 
tion. 

Here  blows  the  rough  north  wind  and  strong  south 
wind  upon  her  spices ;  yet  they  put  forth  no  fragrancy. 
And  there  the  lightest  breeze  makes  her  roses  blossom, 
and  all  the  air  is  perfume. 

See  her  countenance  to-day  black  as  the  tents  of  Ke- 
dar ;  and  to-morrow  comely  as  the  daughters  of  Jerusa- 
lem, and  fair  as  the  purple  curtains  of  Solomon.  To- 
day she  is  "  a  garden  barred,  a  spring  shut  up,  a  foun- 
tain sealed;"  to-morrow  "a  garden  open,  a  well  of  liv- 
ing waters,  and  streams  from  Lebanon."  Now  she  is 
weak  as  a  babe ;  a  single  watchman  can  "  smite,  wound, 
and  take  away  her  vail ; "  and  then  she  is  courageous 
and  valiant,  "terrible  as  an  army  with  banners."  To- 
day she  is  made  to  keep  another's  vineyard ;  to-morrow 
ehe  is  realizing  a  thousand  pieces  of  silver  from  her  own. 
She  is  truly  a  changeable  being,  carried  about  by  the 
23 


%66  LECTURE   XVJIL 

slightest  circumstances.  This  is  the  description  of  tb.6 
church,  as  given  to  us  in  this  Song  of  Solomon's.  I  shall 
therefore  show  in  explanation  of  our  subject, 

I.  What  has  been  the  general  character  of  the  church 
in  the  wilderness  ; 

II.  Her  character  when  out  of  the  wilderness;  and, 
then, 

III.  Make  an  application  of  our  subject,  by  sho wing- 
in  what  state  the  church  may  be  considered  at  the  pres- 
ent  time. 

I,   The  church  in  the  wilderness. 

It  appears  by  the  word  of  God,  that  for  some  wise  pur- 
pose, God  has  called  his  people  into  the  wilderness  state, 
time  and  again.  1st.  Abraham  was  called  to  go  out  from 
the  land  of  his  fathers  "  into  a  strange  land,  not  knowing 
whither  he  went ;  and  he  obeyed  God,  sojourning  in  the 
land  of  promise  as  in  a  strange  country,  dwelling  in  tab- 
ernacles with  Isaac  and  Jacob,  the  heirs  with  him  of  the 
same  promise  ;  for  he  looked  for  a  city  which  hath  foun- 
dations, whose  Builder  and  Maker  is  God."  By  this 
means,  Abraham  obtained  the  name  of  the  Father  of  all 
them  that  believe.  We  learn  by  the  history  of  Abra- 
ham, that  the  first  seed  of  the  church  was  called  into  the 
wilderness  as  a  place  of  promise  ;  where  God  took  spe 
cial  care  of  them,  saying  to  the  kings  and  princes  of  this 
world,  "Touch  not  mine  anointed,  and  do  my  prophets  no 
harm."  We  see  them  supported  and  kept  through  all 
the  trials  of  life  ;  and,  in  the  midst  of  idolatrous  nations, 
among  whom  they  sojourned,  not  one  of  them  lost  their 
faith,  or  became  impure  in  their  worship ;  but  God  was 
with  them,  preserving  them  in  war,  famine,  and  the  heavy 
judgments  of  God  upon  the  nations  with  whom  they  so- 
journed. 

The  next  account  we  have  of  the  church  being  called 
into  the  wilderness  was  in  the  days  of  Moses,  when  the 
children  of  Israel  were  delivered  from  Egyptian  slavery, 
and  brought  out  by  the  mighty  and  powerful  hand  of  God 
into  the  wilderness,  where  she  was  fed,  clothed,  and  shod 
by  miracle,  and  preserved  by  manna  from  heaven,  and 
flesh  from  the  desert ;  where  the  cloud  of  his  presence 
overshadowed  them  by  day,  and  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night. 


Christ's  second  coming.  267 

The  angel  of  the  covenant  accompanied  them  through 
all  the  wilderness,  "  gave  them  drink  as  out  of  the  great 
depths.  He  brought  streams  also  out  of  the  rock,  and 
caused  waters  to  run  down  like  rivers."  "  He  made  his 
own  people  to  go  forth  like  sheep,  and  guided  them  in  the 
wilderness  like  a  flock.  He  led  them  on  safely,  so  they 
feared  not ;  but  the  sea  overwhelmed  their  enemies.  He 
brought  them  to  the  border  of  his  sanctuary,  even  to  the 
mountain  his  right  hand  had  purchased.  He  cast  out  the 
heathen  also  before  them,  divided  them  an  inheritance 
by  line,  and  made  the  children  of  Israel  to  dwell  in  tents." 
Thus  sang  the  sweet  psalmist  of  Israel.  And  what  could 
God  have  done  more  than  he  did  for  his  people  in  the 
wilderness  ? 

The  next  and  last  proof  we  have  that  God  calls  his 
people  into  the  wilderness,  you  will  find  in  Rev.  xii.  6, 
14,  "  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where 
she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that  they  should  feed 
her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days." 

"  And  to  the  woman  were  given  two  wings  of  an  ea- 
gle, that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness  into  her  place, 
(take  notice,  the  wilderness  is  here  called  "  her  place") 
where  she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a 
time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent ; "  that  is,  away  from 
the  power  of  the  Roman  beast,  or  power  which  is  here 
called  the  serpent.  The  prophet  Hosea,  in  his  vision  of 
the  wilderness  state  of  the  church  under  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation, says,  "  Therefore,  behold,  I  will  allure  her  and 
bring  her  into  the  wilderness,  and  speak  comfortably  unto 
her;  and  I  will  give  her  her  vineyards  from  thence,  and 
the  valley  of  Achor  for  a  door  of  hope,  and  she  shall  sing 
there  as  in  the  days  of  her  youth,  as  in  the  day  when 
she  came  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,"  Hosea  ii.  14, 
&c.  We  might  quote  you  more  of  this  prophecy,  and 
show  you  how  exactly  every  word  has  been  literally  ful- 
filled in  time  and  manner,  as  John  has  told  us  in  Reve- 
lation ;  but  I  have  sufficiently  proved  that  God  has  called 
his  church  into  the  wilderness,  for  purposes  of  good  to 
the  churches.  I  will  now,  2dly,  show  what  object  God 
had  in  view,  so  far  as  he  has  revealed  his  object  in  his 
word,  in  calling  his  church  into  the  wilderness.    Moses 


268  LECTURE    XVIII. 

says,  Deut.  viii.  16, 17,  "Who  fed  thee  in  the  wilderness 
with  manna,  which  thy  fathers  knew  not,  that  he  might 
humble  thee,  and  that  he  might  prove  thee,  to  do  thee 
good  at  thy  latter  end,  lest  you  should  say  in  your  hearts, 
My  power,  and  the  might  of  mine  hand,  hath  gotten  me 
this  wealth." 

Surely,  my  brethren,  if  we  would  read  this  passage 
and  apply  it  home,  we  must  see,  unless  we  are  wilfully 
blind,  that  if  we  are  in  the  wilderness  at  this  time,  the 
object  of  God  is  lost  upon  us.  We  are  not  humble 
enough  to  believe  that  God  is  the  Author  and  Finisher 
of  our  faith,  or  that  salvation  is  of  God.  Are  we  not  say- 
ing, not  only  in  our  hearts,  but  also  in  doctrine,  words, 
and  action,  that  we  can  do  great  things  ;  our  might,  our 
wisdom,  our  hands,  have  gotten  us  this  great  wealth  ? 

Do  we  not  see  our  benevolence  trumpeted  forth  in 
every  publication  of  the  present  day,  and  our  contribu- 
tions spread  far  and  wide  ?  For  what  ?  To  feed  the  hun- 
gry and  clothe  the  naked  ?  No,  not  literally,  but  mentally. 
Yes,  and  do  we  not  see  that  instead  of  feeding  the  pub- 
lic mind  with  wholesome  food,  with  the  sincere  milk  of 
the  word,  we  have  almost  surfeited  them  with  our  tarts 
and  spices,  until  the  public  mind  has  become  so  heated, 
nothing  satisfies  unless  it  has  been  highly  spiced  with 
some  agitated  question  to  more  inflame  the  public  pulse. 
More  than  three  quarters  of  all  our  contributions  are  used 
to  bloat  each  other  up  in  self-righteousnes  and  pride  ;  or 
to  pull  each  other  down,  with  our  excited  questions  of 
right  and  wrong.  The  moral  code  which  God  gave  to 
man  for  his  happiness  here  and  hereafter  is  demolished ; 
and  Judge  Lynch  is  the  order  of  the  day,  as  well  in  mor- 
als as  in  our  civil  affairs.  Where  in  the  word  of  God 
are  we  commanded  to  have  our  gifts  for  charitable  pur- 
poses published,  either  before  or  behind  us,  by  a  public 
gazette  or  a  brazen-mouthed  trumpet  ?  Yet  at  the  pres- 
ent day,  we  glory  in  our  pride,  and  excuse  ourselves  in 
the  manner  of  doing  it ;  for  the  end,  say  we,  justifies  the 
means.  Why,  then,  did  not  our  Savior  justify  the  Phar- 
isees in  the  same  means  for  the  very  same  object — tc 
make  proselytes  ? 

The  wilderness  then,  under  existing  circumstances,  is 


Christ's  second  coming.  269 

calculated  as  the  best  place  to  keep  the  church  humble, 
teach  her  her  dependence  on  God,  and  to  give  her  a 
grateful  heart  For  there  she  mixes  not  with  the  world, 
there  she  is  not  wholly  engaged  after  the  riches,  honors, 
wisdom,  and  fashions  of  this  world.  In  the  wilderness 
she  depends  more  on  the  manna  of  God's  word  for  her 
daily  food  ;  but  in  the  great  city,  she  seeks  for  the  pop- 
ular learning  of  the  world,  the  vain  philosophy  of  the 
ancients,  or  the  wisdom  of  men.  There  God  feeds  her 
with  spiritual  bread,  living  water,  and  sincere  milk  of 
the  word ;  but  here  she  feeds  on  the  old  corn  of  the 
land  ;  she  mixes  her  wine  with  strong  drink,  until  it 
sparkles  in  the  cup;  she  pours  out  her  milk  as  a  drink- 
offering  to  her  idols,  and  mingles  the  doctrine  of  God's 
word  with  the  doctrines  of  devils.  There  she  learns,  by 
a  rich  experience,  her  dependence  on  her  divine  Master  ; 
here  she  forgets  all  his  mercies,  and  ascribes  all  ner 
blessings  to  her  idol  gods,  or  worship  of  her  own  hands. 

There  the  daily  presence  of  God  prevents  her  wor- 
shipping the  idols  of  the  world,  or  following  after  the 
gods  which  are  no  gods ;  but  here  the  presence  of 
worldly  objects  draws  her  attention  from  the  one  living 
and  true  God  ;  and  she  has  lords  many  and  gods  many. 

In  the  wilderness,  the  teachers  in  the  church  are  more 
pure ;  there  is  nothing  to  tempt  their  cupidity,  or  foster 
their  pride ;  they  feed  the  flock  of  God  instead  of  them- 
selves ;  the  church  is  not  rich  in  worldly  things  to  tempt 
the  wolf,  or  the  fox  to  enter  her  folds.  But  among  the 
citizens,  she  must  expect,  while  man  is  wicked,  that  the 
false  and  designing  teachers  will  rush  into  her  ministry, 
to  subserve  their  own  interest,  and  draw  off  followers 
after  them.  In  the  wilderness,  the  church  has  but  few 
temptations  for  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  the  politi- 
cal world,  for  she  is  nourished  away  from  the  face  of 
this  wily  serpent,  which  has  coiled  his  folds  around  the 
heart  of  many  a  professor  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  destroyed 
all  that  piety  of  heart  and  life,  which,  separate  from  po- 
litical strife,  they  once  enjoyed. 

Moses,  sp  eaking  of  the  church  in  the  wilderness,  says, 
Deut.  xxxii.  9 — 12,  »  For  the  Lord's  portion  is  his  peo- 
ple ;  Jacob  is  the  lot  of  his  inheritance.  He  found  him 
93* 


270  LECTURE    XVIII. 

m  a  desert  land,  and  in  the  waste,  howling  wilderness 
he  led  him  about,  he  instructed  him,  he  kept  him  as  the 
apple  of  his  eye.  As  an  eagle  stirreth  up  her  nest,  flut- 
tereth  over  her  young,  spreadeth  abroad  her  wings, 
taketh  them,  beareth  them  on  her  wings,  so  the  Lord 
alone  did  lead  him,  and  there  was  no  strange  god  with 
him."  If  the  above  is  a  true  description  of  God's  care 
and  protection  of  his  people  in  the  wilderness,  surely 
this  must  be  a  desirable  state  for  the  church. 

Isaiah,  in  his  vision  of  the  church  in  the  wilderness, 
says,  (xxxv.  I,  2,)  "  The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place 
shall  be  glad  for  them,  and  the  desert  shall  rejoice  and 
blossom  as  the  rose.  It  shall  blossom  abundantly,  and 
rejoice  even  with  joy  and  singing ;  the  glory  of  Leba- 
non shall  be  given  unto  it,  the  excellency  of  Carmel  and 
Sharon ;  they  shall  see  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
excellency  of  our  God."  If  the  church  had  been  in  the 
city,  instead  of  beholding  the  glory  of  God,  her  eyes 
might  have  been  dazzled  with  the  glory  of  the  world, 
and  excellency  of  her  great  men,  or  with  the  gods  of  the 
men  of  the  world ;  so  that,  while  in  this  state  of  trial 
and  temptation,  while  imperfection  is  found  in  the 
church,  the  wilderness  is  a  place  of  greater  security 
from  inbred  lust  and  outward  foes. 

Perhaps  we  have  been  in  the  habit  of  fixing  in  our 
minds  quite  a  different  idea  of  the  wilderness  state  o£ 
the  church,  from  what  ideas  I  have  given,  or  from  what 
might  be  proved  by  the  writings  of  the  prophets  and 
apostles.     Examine  for  yourselves,  and  see. 

II.  We  are  to  learn  the  character  of  the  church  when 
it  may  be  said  she  is  out  of  the  wilderness. 

1st.  What  does  the  church  enjoy  when  she  is  out  of 
the  wilderness?  I  answer,  She  enjoys  possessions, 
privileges,  and  laws  among  the  kingdoms  and  political 
nations  of  the  earth ;  kings  are  her  nursing  fathers,  and 
queens  her  nursing  mothers.  "  They  shall  bow  down  to 
thee,  with  their  face  to  the  earth,  and  lick  up  the  dust  of 
thy  feet,"  says  Isaiah,  xlix.  23.  That  is,  the  church, 
when  in  this  situation,  receives  the  courtly  smiles  of 
the  great,  and  the  sycophantic  cringing  of  the  political 
demagogue.     But  let  the  church  remember,  although 


Christ's  second  coming.  271 

kings,  queens,  and  great  men  of  the  world  may  bow 
down,  court,  and  idolize  her,  and  may  descend  to  lick  the 
dust  from  her  feet,  yet  it  is  only  to  flatter  and  to  betray ; 
for  their  "faces  "  are  not  Zion-ward,  but  to  the  "  zarttu" 
Their  motives  are  earthly,  devilish.  It  is  a  serpent  still ; 
they  feed  on  the  food  of  serpents,  the  dust  of  your  feet. 
"  They  eat  the  sins  of  my  people  as  they  eat  bread." 
Some  suppose  it  will  be  a  goodly  time,  when  kings  and 
queens  wilJ  be  fathers  and  mothers  in  Zion.  But  no, 
my  brethren  ;  the  true  church  have  but  one  father,  which 
is  God  ;  and  but  one  mother,  which  is  not  of  this  world, 
but  she  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  mother  of  us  all, 
which  cometh  down  from  above.  Christ  himself  says, 
"  The  prince  of  this  world  cometh,  and  hath  nothing  in 
me ; "  as  much  as  if  he  had  said,  By  and  by  the  kings 
and  princes  of  this  world  will  come  and  court  you  ;  they 
will  pretend  to  great  friendship  for  you  ;  they  will  offer 
to  nurse,  feed,  and  clothe  you  ;  but  remember  they  have 
nothing  in  me.  You  must,  if  you  wish  to  win  the  crown 
of  glory,  "  contend  against  principalities,  against  powers, 
against  the  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  against 
spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places ;  for  he  hath  nothing 
in  me."  Again,  Daniel  says,  ii.  43,  "  They  (the  people 
of  God)  shall  mingle  themselves  with  the  seed  of  men, 
(kings  and  queens,  for  fathers  and  mothers,)  but  they  shall 
not  cleave  one  to  another,  even  as  iron  is  not  mixed  with 
clay."  Let  this  suffice  to  show  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
church  of  Christ  to  keep  themselves  unspotted  from  the 
world  ;  to  be  separate,  and  touch  not  the  unclean  thing. 
What  is  the  unclean  thing  ?  I  answer,  It  is  the  policy 
of  worldly  governments ;  in  one  word,  it  is  a  political 
spirit ;  that  spirit  which  is  not  peaceable,  pure,  easy  to 
be  entreated.  Who,  I  ask,  ever  saw  a  political  partisan 
have  these  fruits  while  prompted  by  that  spirit?  "  First 
pure,  then  peaceable,  easy  to  be  entreated."  A  political 
man,  if  he  had  any  conscience,  would  blush  with  shame 
to  claim  these  appellations.  And  where,  in  all  the  his- 
tory of  the  church,  from  the  days  of  the  apostles  until 
now,  have  kings,  queens,  or  rulers  of  this  world  under- 
taken to  nurse  the  church,  and  lord  it  over  God's  heri- 
tage, but  that  they  have  proved,  in  the  end,  a  curse  in- 


272  LECTURE  xvm. 

stead  of  a  blessing  ?  I  am  bold  to  say,  Nowhere !  And 
one  thing  more  I  am  bold  to  say  —  That  kind  of  morality 
which  requires  the*  aid  of  the  political  world  to  enforce 
it,  is  a  harlot  in  disguise,  and  her  path  is  the  way  to 
death  ;  in  her  secret  chambers  you  will  find  war,  rapine, 
and  murder,  and  in  her  train  will  be  seen  revenge,  ha- 
tred, envy,  and  division.  These  are  the  temptations  of 
the  church  when  in  the  city  of  the  nations. 

2dly.  What  has  been  her  character  when  in  the 
city  ?  Answer :  When  the  Jews  left  the  wilderness,  and 
entered  into  Canaan,  their  manna,  with  which  they  had 
been  fed  while  travelling  in  the  wilderness,  ceased,  and 
they  fed  on  the  old  corn  of  the  land.  This  manna  was 
a  type  of  the  spiritual  food  given  by  God  to  his  children, 
while  under  his  immediate  control  and  care.  See  Rev. 
ii.  17.  Old  corn  is  a  fit  resemblance  of  the  worldly 
rights,  privileges,  and  possessions  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth.  The  Jews,  almost  immediately  after  they 
took  possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  began  to  mix 
themselves  with  the  inhabitants  around  them,  and  be- 
came men  pleasers,  and  a  nation  of  idolaters  ;  and  the 
very  things  which  Moses  charged  them  against,  became 
the  common  occurrences  of  the  day ;  and  on  account 
of  which  God  suffered  their  enemies  to  bring  them  into 
bondage,  and,  from  a  powerful  people,  that  had  made 
kings  tremble  even  upon  the  report  of  them  while  in  the 
wilderness,  now  became  a  weak  and  degraded  people,  a 
tributary  nation,  a  band  of  slaves  to  their  enemies ;  and 
the  prophecy  of  Moses,  Deuteronomy  xxxii.  15 — 20,  was 
literally  accomplished  in  about  twenty  years  after  they 
took  possession  of  their  goodly  land.  "  But  Jeshurun 
waxed  fat  and  kicked :  thou  art  waxen  fat,  thou  art 
grown  thick,  thou  art  covered  with  fatness  ;  then  he 
forsook  God  which  made  him,  and  lightly  esteemed  the 
Rock  of  his  salvation.  They  provoked  him  to  jealousy 
with  strange  gods ;  with  abominations  provoked  they  him 
to  anger.  They  sacrificed  unto  devils,  not  to  God;  to 
gods  whom  they  knew  not,  to  new  gods  that  came  newly 
up,  whom  your  fathers  (while  in  the  wilderness)  feared 
not  Of  the  Rock  that  begat  thee  thou  art  unmindful, 
and  hast  forgotten  God  that  formed-  thee."    The  word 


Christ's  second  coming.  273 

tells  us,  Judges  ii.  11,  12,  "  The  children  of  Israel  did 
evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  served  Baalim ;  and 
forsook  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  which  brought 
them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  followed  other  gods, 
of  the  gods  of  the  people  that  were  round  about  them, 
and  bowed  themselves  unto  them,  and  provoked  the 
Lord  to  anger."  They  dwelt  among  the  Canaanite3, 
and,  as  it  is  said,  Judges  iii.  6,  "  they  took  their  daugh- 
ters to  be  their  wives,  and  gave  their  daughters  to  their 
sons,  and  served  their  gods." 

This  was  the  character  and  practice  of  the  Jews,  God'a 
ancient  covenant  people.  They  ate,  they  drank,  and 
rose  up  to  play.  They  were  proud,  rebellious,  and  un- 
godly. They  obeyed  not  the  commands  of  God,  and 
heeded  not  the  warning  voice  of  the  Almighty.  They 
regarded  not  the  teaching  of  the  true  prophets,  but 
followed  in  the  train  of  the  popular  prophets  of  Baal. 
They  persecuted  and  drove  into  the  wilderness  the 
true  servants  of  Jehovah,  while  they  fed,  clothed,  and 
schooled  hundreds  of  the  servants  of  Baalim.  They  be- 
came a  stiff-necked  and  hard-hearted  people  to  their  own 
God,  and  bowed  their  necks,  and  were  subservient  to 
the  nations  and  their  gods  around  them.  They  forsook 
or  demolished  the  altars  erected  for  the  worship  of  the 
true  God,  and  erected  under  every  green  tree  altars  to 
Baalim  and  Ashtaroth.  They  waxed  rich  in  corn,  wine, 
and  oil,  yet  were  poor  and  scanty  in  their  first  fruits  to 
God.  They  multiplied  in  cattle,  silver,  and  gold,  and  for- 
got that  it  was  God  who  gave  them  power  to  get  wealth. 

This,  we  must  acknowledge,  is  the  character  of  the 
Jews,  as  given  unto  us  by  the  sacred  historians.  These 
were  the  people  whom  God  had  chosen  out  of  all  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth,  to'be  his  peculiar  people  —  a  people 
who  had  seen  and  experienced  the  salvation  of  God  in  a 
most  miraculous  manner ;  from  Egyptian  bondage,  from 
drought  and  famine  in  the  wilderness,  and  from  the  pow- 
er of  the  nations  who  sought  to  impede  their  progress,  or 
hinder  their  possessing  the  promised  land.  They  had 
enjoyed  the  visible  presence  of  the  angel  of  the  covenant 
forty  years  in  the  wilderness.  They  had  heard  the  audi- 
ble voice  of  Jehovah  on  the  mountain ;  they  saw  his  pow- 


274  LECTURE    XVIII. 

er  and  glory  on  Sinai.     Yet  the  next  generation  afte* 
Joshua,  had  become  so  deeply  corrupted,  by  unbelief,  in 
gratitude,  and  rebellion,  that  they  gave  all  the  glory  to 
works  of  their  own  hands,  and  worshipped  idols  of  stocks 
and  stones. 

This,  you  say,  is  a  dark  picture  of  man,  and  could  not 
have  applied  to  any  other  people  but  the  Jews.  I  will 
agree  that  no  other  nation  were,  at  that  time,  placed  in 
like  circumstances  with  them.  But  dark  as  the  picture, 
and  hideous  as  the  detail,  it  is  but  a  shadow  of  our  day. 
a  type  of  the  Christian  church  in  the  times  in  which  we 
live. 

"  Who  is  this  coming  up  from  the  wilderness,  leaning 
upon  her  beloved  ?"  The  text  does  not  tell  us  she  is  out 
of  the  wilderness,  hut  coming  out ;  as  though  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  while  she  is  coming  out,  she  leans  upon  her 
lord.  Her  affections  were  not  yet  contaminated  by  a 
love  for  the  world,  nor  her  faith  weakened  by  her  vanity 
and  self-esteem.  Thus  was  it  with  the  Jews  ;  and  so  has 
it  been  with  the  church  in  ages  past.     Then  let  me, 

III.  Make  an  application  of  our  subject,  by  showing 
what  may  be  considered  the  present  state  of  the  gospel 
church. 

I  believe  all  writers  and  commentators  on  the  Apoca- 
lypse agree  that  the  church  of  Christ  has  been  in  the 
wilderness  more  than  twelve  centuries  past.  Some  have 
fixed  the  time  of  the  church  entering  into  her  wilderness 
state  as  early  as  A.  D.  534,  when  the  great  controversy 
between  the  orthodox  and  Arians,  which,  in  the  days  of 
Justinian,  shook  the  religious  world  into  two  great  divis- 
ions, like  the  two  "  wings  of  an  eagle,"  from  the  convul- 
sions of  which  many  of  the  true  servants  of  God,  or  all 
of  them,  disgusted  with  the  spirit  shown  by  both  of  the 
contending  parties,  who  both  claimed  and  used  the  civil 
authority  to  exterminate  or  conquer  their  heterodox 
brethren,  fled  into  the  north-east  part  of  Europe,  away 
"  from  the  face  of  the  serpent,"  —  the  emperors  of  the  east, 
and  the  more  powerful  bishops  of  Rome  —  where  for 
numbers  of  centuries  they  lived  unknowing  and  unknown. 

Other  writers  say  that  it  was  as  late  as  A.  D.  606,  when 
the  Pope,  by  the  concessions  of  Phocas,  obtained  civil 


Christ's  second  coming.  275 

and  ecclesiastical  power,  and  that  he  came  out  publicly 
wearing-  two  swords.  Between  these  two  points  I  be- 
lieve all  writers  fix  the  time  of  the  church  entering  into 
her  wilderness  state,  "  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that  they 
should  feed  her  there  1260  days;"  or,  "to  the  woman 
were  given  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  she  might 
fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place,  where  she  is  nour- 
ished for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time,  from  the 
face  of  the  serpent,"  Rev.  xii,  6th  and  14th  verses', 
1260  days  being  the  same  as  time,  times  and  a  half — 
three  years  and  a  half,  or  1260  prophetic  days  —  which, 
according  to  my  former  proof,  must  mean  1260  years. 

The  question  now  remains  to  be  settled,  Where  and 
when  this  wilderness  state  began,  in  order  for  us  to 
understand  the  present  state  of  the  church. 

And  first,  let  us  inquire,  What  are  the  Scripture  marks 
of  the  beginning  of  this  period  ?  I  answer,  in  the  Apoca- 
lypse, xi.  2,  "  But  the  court  which  is  without  the  temple 
leave  out,  and  measure  it  not,  for  it  is  given  unto  the 
Gentiles  ;  and  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot 
forty-two  months."  This  is  the  same  time,  three  years 
and  a  half,  or  1260  days,  as  before.  Again,  Rev.  xiii.  4, 
5,  "And  they  worshipped  the  dragon,  which  gave  power 
unto  the  beast ;  and  they  worshipped  the  beast,  saying, 
Who  is  like  unto  the  beast?  Who  is  able  to  make  war 
with  him  ?  And  there  was  given  him  a  mouth  speaking 
great  things  and  blasphemies ;  and  power  was  given 
him  to  continue  forty  and  two  months"  —  the  very  same 
time  mentioned  again.  And  we  learn,  by  this  passage, 
that  this  beast,  which  would  persecute  and  drive  into 
the  wilderness  the  church,  would  receive  his  power  from 
the  dragon,  — the  same  as  in  Rev.  xii.  4,  "stood  before 
the  woman,  which  was  ready  to  be  delivered,  for  to 
devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born," —  and  must,  of 
necessity,  be  the  Roman  power.  See  Rev.  xvii.  12,  13. 
"And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten  kings, 
which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet;  but  receive 
power,  as  kings,  one  hour  with  the  beast.  These  have 
one  mind,  and  shall  give  their  power  and  strength  unto 
the  beast"  This  text  plainly  proves  that  the  kings  of 
the  Roman  power  gave  their  power  and  authority  to 


276  LECTURE    XVIII. 

this  beast,  which  was  to  drive  into  the  wilderness  the 
church,  "and  tread  her  under  foot  forty  and  two 
months." 

We  must  look,  then,  for  some  law,  passed  by  some 
Roman  emperor,  and  sanctioned  by  the  ten  kings,  (for 
they,  too,  had  the  same  mind  to  give  "  their  power  and 
strength  unto  the  beast,"  meaning,  as  I  understand  it, 
Rome  Papal,)  in  order  to  find  the  commencement  of  the 
church  in  the  wilderness. 

We  find  that  Justinian,  emperor  of  Constantinople, 
formed  a  code  of  laws  about  A.  D.  534,  which  were 
published  and  sanctioned,  in  the  Western  Empire  at 
Rome,  about  four  years  afterwards ;  on  which  code  of 
laws,  the  Pope  has  claimed  his  authority  to  rule  over 
kings,  and  punish  heretics  with  confiscation  of  their 
goods,  imprisonment  or  torture  of  body,  and  even  death ; 
which  laws  continued  in  force  until  1260  years  afterwards, 
in  the  year  1798,  when  the  French  people,  under  General 
Bonaparte,  abolished  the  laws,  and  constituted  Italy  a 
republic. 

Then,  in  the  year  1798,  the  church  began  to  come  up 
out  of  the  wilderness.  "  What,"  says  the  objector,  "has 
Bonaparte  or  the  wars  of  France  to  do  with  the  church 
coming  out  of  the  wilderness  ?  "  I  answer,  Much ;  for 
the  same  power  that  gave  the  anti-Christian  beast  his 
authority,  must  take  it  away.  The  political  river  Jor- 
dan must  be  parted  asunder;  the  law  of  outlawry 
against  the  church  must  be  abolished,  before  she  could 
enjoy  rights  and  privileges  in  the  great  city  of  nations. 
In  this  war,  under  the  modern  dragon,  the  emperor  of 
the  French,  the  barriers  were  broken  down.  And  now, 
the  church  is  permitted  to  exist  in  almost  all  kingdoms 
in  the  known  world. 

This  is  "  coming  up  out  of  the  wilderness,"  for  she  is 
now  permitted  to  publish  the  gospel  of  her  beloved 
among  all  nations.  She  can  now  translate  his  word  into 
every  language,  and  send  his  servants  into  every  quarter 
of  the  globe.  By  this  were  the  armies  of  Christ  to  con- 
quer his  enemies  by  the  "  sharp  sword  which  proceedeth 
out  of  his  mouth."  And  as  the  Jews  overran  and  con- 
quered a  large  share  of  the  promised  land,  after  they 


Christ's  second  coming.  277 

came  out  of  the  wilderness,  even  so,  in  these  days,  the 
church  is  extending  her  banners  over  a  large  sLare  of 
the  earth,  the  promised  land  of  the  Christian,  See 
Psalm  xxxvii.  22,  28,  29,  and  34.  Prov.  ii.  21,  22.  x.  30. 
Matt.  v.  5.  For  the  apostle  Paul  tells  us,  1  Cor.  x.  11, 
"  Now  all  these  things  happened  unto  them  for  examples^ 
(or  types,)  and  they  are  written  for  our  admonition,  upon 
whom  the  end  of  the  world  is  come."  It  is  very  evident 
that  the  apostle,  in  this  passage,  is  speaking  of  the  travel 
of  the  children  of  Israel  through  the  wilderness,  and 
their  entrance  into  the  promised  land,  or  their  coming 
out  of  the  wilderness,  as  a  type  or  resemblance  of  the 
Christian  church  in  these  last  days. 

Therefore,  we  are  allowed  by  the  inspired  apostles  to 
use  their  journey  and  acts,  to  illustrate  and  show  the 
present  state  of  the  church,  if  we  can  gain  any  instruc- 
tion thereby. 

The  Jews  had  a  promise  that  they  should  inherit  the 
land  of  Canaan ;  the  Christian,  that  he  shall  inherit  the 
earth  —  "  For  the  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth ; "  and 
"  The  kingdom,  and  greatness  of  the  kingdom  under  the 
whole  heaven,  shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  saints 
of  the  Most  High."  The  Jews  used  carnal  weapons  in 
their  wars  with  the  inhabitants ;  the  church  are  com- 
manded to  use  spiritual  ones,  to  the  pulling  down  of  the 
strong-holds,  &c.  They  were  led  by  their  temporal 
Joshua;  the  church,  by  her  spiritual  leader.  The  Jews 
conquered  by  sending  out  their  chosen  and  expert  men 
with  the  sword ;  the  church  has  sent  forth  her  chosen 
missionaries,  expert  men  with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit, 
which  is  the  "word  of  God." 

The  Jews  had  great  success  in  conquering  their 
enemies  when  they  first  came  out  of  the  wilderness ; 
even  so  the  church  has  had  her  unexpected  success  in 
her  missionary  efforts.  The  Jews,  within  twenty  years, 
became  a  proud,  haughty,  and  an  idolatrous  people,  ascrib- 
ing all  their  success  to  their  own  power ;  and  mingling 
themselves  with  the  nations  around  them,  they  began  to 
bow  down  to  their  gods,  and  worship  Baalim,  and  Ash- 
taroth ;  just  so,  and  in  about  the  same  time,  since  the 
cause  of  missions  began  to  succeed,  has  the  church 
24 


278 


LECTURE     XVIII. 


become  proud  and  haughty,  publishing  her  donations 
upon  the  house-top,  mixing  her  moral  questions  with 
the  political  partizans  of  the  day,  and  courting  the 
applause  of  men  more  than  obeying  the  voice  of 
God :  she  is  preparing  for  a  sudden  overthrow,  a  signal 
defeat. 

The  church  is  evidently  worshipping  her  god  Baalim ; 
her  teachers  are  seeking  to  be  called  by  great  names, 
such  as  A.  B.,  A.  M.,  B.  D.,  D.  D.,  or  Rev.,  &c  ;  to 
lord  it  over  each  other,  and  to  be  called  master.  See  the 
meaning  of  the  word  Baalim,  idols,  masters,  false  gods. 
It  is  equally  as  evident,  that  she  is  bowing  herself  to  the 
god  Ashtaroth,  flocks,  the  sheep,  riches. 

Where,  in  the  history  of  the  church,  can  we  find  a 
time  that  the  people  called  Christians  were,  appa- 
rently, engaged  after  the  riches  of  this  world  as  now  ? 
Then,  the  agreement,  in  almost  every  thing,  between  the 
Jews,  when  they  came  out  of  the  wilderness,  and  the 
church  at  the  present  day,  holds  good,  and  proves  clear- 
ly to  me  that  the  church  is  now  out  of  the  wilderness. 
If  it  is  not  so,  When,  I  ask,  since  the  apostles'  days,  has 
the  church  been  out  of  the  wilderness  ?  Instead,  then, 
of  being  in  the  wilderness  only  1260  years,  she  evidently 
has  been  1800  years  in  the  wilderness;  and  this 
prophecy  has  failed,  or  has  no  meaning. 

What  greater  privileges  did  the  church  ever  enjoy 
than  now  ?  Were  their  privileges  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth  greater,  even  in  the  days  of  the  Roman  em- 
perors, under  the  nursing  care  of  Constantine  and  his 
sons  ?  I  answer,  No.  Then,  surely,  the  church  is  now 
out  of  the  wilderness,  and  has  been  nearly  or  quite  forty 
years.  If  so,  then  the  1260  years  of  the  reign  of  anti- 
Christ  to  give  the  court  of  the  Gentiles  to  be  trodden 
under  foot  have  ended. 

Then,  the  two  witnesses,  prophesying,  clothed  in 
sackcloth,  1260  years  have  ended.  Then,  also,  has  the 
civil  power  of  the  anti-Christian  beast,  to  rule  over  the 
kings  of  the  earth  forty-two  months,  been  taken  from 
the  beast. 

Then,  also,  has  the  "  time,  times  and  a  half,"  men- 
tioned in  Daniel  vii.  25,  and  xii.  7,  had  its  fulfilment, 


Christ's  second  coming.  279 

"  to  the  end  of  these  wonders."  And  now,  the  anti- 
Christian  beast  will  no  longer  be  able  to  deceive  the 
nations  with  her  false  miracles,  or  make  the  kings  of 
the  earth  acknowledge  her  power  as  supreme.  They 
have  eaten  her  flesh ;  they  have  made  her  drink  her 
own  blood ;  her  great  men  have  departed  from  her ;  they 
are  casting  dust  on  their  heads,  crying,  "  Alas !  alas !  that 
great'city  Babylon,  that  mighty  city !  for  in  one  hour  is  thy 
judgment  come."  "And  when  she  shall  have  accom- 
plished to  scatter  the  power  of  the  holy  people,  all  these 
things  shall  be  finished,"  Dan.  xii.  7.  This  beast  has  but 
one  more  work  to  perform  —  "  to  scatter  the  power  of  the 
holy  people  ;  to  divide,  that  she  may  conquer.  It  is  the  last 
gasp  of  the  expiring  monster  ;  it  is  the  dying  struggle  of 
the  man  of  sin.  And,  for  a  little  moment,  they  will  succeed. 
For  the  church  must  be  humbled;  she  has  departed 
from  her  Lord,  she  has  grown  proud  of  her  worldly 
connections,  she  has  become  haughty,  and  lording  it 
over  the  heritage  of  the  Lord.  She  must  be  divided. 
She  is  already.  She  must  be  scattered,  shaken  like 
grain  in  the  winnowing-fan,  that  that  which  cannot  be 
shaken  may  remain.  She  will  be  delivered  when  her 
Lord  returns  to  the  wedding,  and  sends  forth  his  angels 
to  gather  his  elect  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  where 
they  have  been  scattered  in  the  dark  and  cloudy  day. 
Then  will  he  destroy  the  man  of  sin  by  the  brightness 
of  his  coming.  Then,  too,  will  the  little  horn  cease 
making  war  with  the  saints,  and  no  longer  prevail 
against  them.  The  Ancient  of  days  will  come,  and 
judgment  will  be  given  to  the  saints  of  the  Most  High ; 
and  the  time  will  have  come  when  the  saints,  in  union 
with  their  spiritual  Joshua,  will  enter  into  thut  eternal 
Sabbath  of  rest  which  remains  for  the  people  of  God. 

Nothing  can  be  more  clear,  or  self-evident,  than  that 
the  church  is  combating  the  great  natural  and  moral 
evils,  which  men  in  this  state  of  sin  are  prone  to  commit 
What  shall  we  make  of  all  these  societies  which  the 
church  have  instituted  since  she  came  out  of  the  wilder- 
ness, but  so  many  attacks  upon  the  enemies  of  the  land  ? 

The  Bible  society,  instituted  since  1798.  This  has 
proved  a  powerful  weapon  to  expel  the  moral  darkness 


280  UECTURE     XVIII. 

from  the  mind  of  the  unenlightened,  to  open  the  prison 
of  the  votaries  of  superstition,  and  to  knock  off  the 
shackles  of  bigotry.  We  have  seen,  in  our  day,  Deism 
humbled  from  a  haughty  tyrant  to  a  cringing  sycophant 
We  have  seen  Romanism,  from  a  monarch  ruling  over 
the  souls  and  bodies  of  men  with  an  absolute  sway,  be- 
come a  slave,  a  follower  in  the  wake  of  Protestants, 
in  publishing  and  circulating  the  Scriptures.  The  De- 
ists, a  few  years  since,  had  the  control  of  nine  tenths  of 
all  Europe ;  now,  not  a  petty  kingdom  under  their  con- 
trol :  the  Roman  church,  for  centuries  past  the  mistress 
of  most  of  the  kings  of  Europe,  now  a  poor  dependant 
on  the  breath  of  kings. 

Our  missionary  societies  have  carried  the  banners  of 
the  cross  where  hope  never  smiled  before,  nor  faith 
ever  lighted  the  cheerless  sky  of  the  heathen's  land. 
And  we  have  seen  nations  hearing  the  word  of  God,  and 
islands  converted  to  the  faith  of  the  gospel  of  Christ 

Temperance  societies.  We  have  seen  the  attack  upon 
intemperance,  the  Anakim  of -our  world,  and  we  have 
heard  the  shout  of  triumph  from  every  quarter  of  the 
globe.  Rapid,  indeed,  was  the  march  to  victory  !  Again, 
our  moral  reform  societies,  our  Sabbath  schools,  Bible 
classes,  &c.  &c,  are  all  so  many  attacks  on  moral  evil, 
which  have  produced,  in  many  cases,  wonderful  effects  ; 
so  much  so,  that  it  has  astonished  even  the  projectors 
themselves. 

These  aggravated  sins  are  falling  before  the  all-con- 
quering weapon  of  God's  word,  like  the  walls  of  Jericho 
before  the  blasts  of  the  trumpets ;  and  it  will  go  on  con- 
quering and  to  conquer,  until  tyranny,  oppression,  and 
slavery,  in  every  form,  shall  be  destroyed.  Perhaps  no- 
thing, at  the  present  time,  impedes  the  progress  of  these 
things  so  much  as  the  popular  spirit,  the  pride,  and  arro- 
gance of  the  church  herself.  She  is,  more  or  less,  court- 
ing the  applause  of  the  world.  She  is  mingling  her  holy 
religion  with  the  opinions  and  principles  of  men.  She 
is  proud  and  self-sufficient,  doting  upon  her  own  works, 
and  forgetting  her  dependence  on  God.  If  this  should 
be  the  true  state  of  the  church,  God  may  suffer  tyrants 
to  remain  as  a  scourge  to  the  church,  "  as  a  rod  for  the 
fool's  back." 


Christ's  second  coming.  281 

This  was  literally  the  case  with  the  Jewish  church, 
after  she  came  out  of  the  wilderness  ;  and  every  appear- 
ance seems  to  betoken  the  like  spirit  in  the  church  at 
the  present  day.  O  that  we  could  be  wise,  and  learn, 
by  the  example  set  us  by  the  Jews,  that  pride  and  self- 
sufficiency  are  always  before  a  fall! 

I  know  the  objector  will  say,  How  can  it  be  true,  that 
the  church  is  spreading  her  banners  over  a  large  portion 
of  the  world,  sending  her  missionaries  and  the  Bible  in- 
to every  nook  and  corner  of  the  habitable  globe,  con- 
quering and  to  conquer  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  growing 
more  and  more  impure  herself,  becoming  haughty,  self- 
righteous,  and  ungrateful,  corrupt  and  lukewarm  in  her 
faith  and  practice,  idolatrous  in  her  worship,  and  cold  and 
indifferent  to  her  first  love  ?  This,  say  they,  is  para- 
doxical. 

I  answer,  Paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  no  less 
true.  Have  I  not  shown  that  the  Jews  were  thus  para- 
doxical, when  they  entered  the  promised  land?  Do 
not  the  description  Solomon  hath  given  us  of  the  church 
in  his  Songs,  the  Epistles  of  Paul  to  the  Corinthians 
and  Galatians,  and  the  history  of  the  church  in  the 
days  of  Constantine,  all  go  to  show,  that  when  the 
church  has  been  most  prospered  in  her  worldly  standing 
with  the  nations,  with  whom  she  may  come  in  contact, 
she  has  the  more  deeply  corrupted  herself? 

This  does  not  argue  that  she  ought  not  to  spread  her 
banners,  send  her  missionaries,  translate  and  circulate 
Bibles,  educate  the  rising  generation,  establish  her  moral 
societies,  and  do  all,  and' every  work,  which  God  in  his 
word  has  commanded  ;  but  it  argues  that  the  church  is 
imperfect,  and  that,  in  times  of  prosperity,  she  ought  to 
consider, 

1st.  Her  proneness  to  idolatry,  her  liability  to  self- 
righteousness,  her  excessive  love  for  the  world,  the 
temptations  on  every  hand. 

2dly.  She  ought  to  consider  that  adversity  is  set  over 
against  prosperity,  that  her  faith  may  be  tried,  her 
motives  sifted,  the  body  purified,  and  the  sanctuary 
cleansed. 

3d.  She  ought  to  consider  that  the  designs  of  God 
24* 


282  LECTURE    XVIII. 

will  be  accomplished,  that  the  work  must  be  executed, 
that  all  power  centres  in  him ;  and,  although  the  church 
may  be  proud,  self-righteous,  and  deeply  corrupted  by 
unbelief  and  sin,  yet  God  will  eventually  be  glorified, 
his  kingdom  established,  his  will  done  in  earth  as  in 
heaven ;  and  the  time  is  at  hand,  when  the  saints  will 
possess  the  kingdom  forever,  even  forever  and  ever. 

Amen. 


LECTURE    XIX 


MATT.  xvi.  3. 
But  can  ye  not  discern  the  signs  of  the  times  i 

Our  text  is  a  question  proposed  by  Christ  to  the  Phar- 
isees and  Sadducees,  at  a  time  when  they  came  to  him, 
tempting  him  for  a  sign  from  heaven ;  and  is  a  reproof 
upon  them  for  their  unbelief  in  the  signs  already  given 
by  the  Old  Testament  writers,  which  they  professed  to 
believe,  and  which  were  actually  fulfilling  before  their 
eyes,  yet  disregarded.  The  Pharisees  and  Sadducees 
were  two  of  the  most  learned  and  popular  sects  among 
the  Jews ;  many  of  them  were  scribes,  lawyers,  doctors, 
and  tochers  of  the  law ;  yet  so  perfectly  blinded,  that 
they  could  not  or  would  not  apply  the  most  simple  rules" 
of  interpretation  to  the  law  or  prophets.  They  would 
apply  the  rules  of  common  observation  and  common 
sense  to  the  weather,  but  neither  the  one  nor  the  other 
were  used  in  understanding  the  Scriptures.  They  were 
well  versed  in  the  skill  to  tell  the  weather  for  the  mor- 
row, but  had  no  skill  in  the  promises,  prophecies,  and 
word  of  God.  "  When  it  is  evening,  ye  say  it  will  be 
fair  weather,  for  the  sky  is  red  ;  and  in  the  morning,  it 
will  be  foul  weather  to-day,  for  the  sky  is  red  and  low- 
ering. O  ye  hypocrites !  ye  ean  discern  the  face  of  the 
sky,  but  can  ye  not  (by  the  same  simple  rule)  discern  tfie 
signs  of  the  times  ?  " 

All  the  signs  given  in  the  word  of  God,  concerning 
the  first  coming  and  person  of  the  Messiah,  were  fulfil- 
ling before  their  eyes ;  yet  they  were  demanding^more 


284  LECTURE    XIX. 

and  greater  signs  from  heaven.  Christ  had,  and  was 
then  performing  miracles  which  no  man  on  earth  could 
perform,  and  they  ascribed  it*  to  the  power  of  Beelzebub. 
No  evidence  had  or  could  be  presented,  which  they 
were  not  ready  to  evade  or  deny  ;  and  yet  they  claimed 
all  the  learning,  all  the  wisdom,  and  all  the  piety  of  that 
day.  This  was  the  character  of  those  whom  Christ  calls 
hypocrites,  and  to  whom  he  addresses  the  question,  "  But 
can  ye  not  discern  the  signs  of  the  times  ?  "  And  happy 
would  it  have  been  for  us,  who  live  in  this  day  of  gospel 
light,  when  the  gospel  shines  with  greater  effulgence 
than  at  any  other  period  of  time  since  the  world  began, 
if  hypocrisy  had  died  with  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees ; 
but  it  was  not  so.  Any  man,  of  common  capacity  of 
mind,  who  can  divest  himself  of  prejudice,  or  who  will 
try  to  see  the  character  of  man  as  developed  at  the  pres- 
ent day  in  matters  of  faith,  will  discover  the  same  unbe- 
lief, the  same  disregard,  the  same  taunting,  tempting 
spirit,  concerning  the  second  coming  of  the  Messiah,  as 
the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  manifested  in  their  con- 
duct and  conversation  with  our  blessed  Redeemer.  And 
the  question  may  with  equal  propriety,  and  T  fear  with 
tenfold  force,  be  put  to  us  at  this  day,  if  Christ  was  here, 
as  then.  And  I  have  much  reason  to  fear,  that  many 
may  be  found  among  our  great,  learned,  and  teachers  of 
divine  things,  who  would  receive  from  our  divine  Master 
the  same  reproof,  were  he  as  then  a  teacher  among  us. 
"  Let  him  that  thinketh  he  stand eth  take  heed,  lest  he 
fall."  I  shall,  then,  in  treating  on  this  subject,  use  my 
text  as  a  reproof  to  us. 

I.  I  shall  show  a  number  of  signs  which  the  Jews  had 
in  that  day,  as  evidences  of  Jesus  being  the  true  Mes- 
siah. 

II.  Show  the  signs  that  Jesus  Christ,  the  prophets,  and 
apostles  have  given  us  of  his  second  coming,  now  fulfil- 
ling in  this  day  in  which  we  live. 

Under  my  first  head,  the  signs  of  Jesus  being  the  true 
Messiah,  were, 

1.  The  universal  peace  at  his  birth.  Of  this  Isaiah 
ii.  3,  4,  had  prophesied  760  years  before,  "  And  many 
people  shall  go  and  say,  Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to 


Christ's  second  coming.  285 

the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the  house  of  the  God  of 
Jacob  ;  and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways,  and  we  will 
walk  in  his  paths ;  for  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the 
law,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem.  And  he 
shall  judge  among  the  nations,  and  shall  rebuke  many 
people ;  and  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plough- 
shares, and  their  spears  into  pruning-hooks.  Nation 
shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation,  neither  shall  they 
learn  war  any  more."  This  prophecy  was  accomplished 
at  his  birth.  For  the  temple  of  Janus  was  shut  the  very 
year  our  Savior  was  born,  which  denoted  universal  peace ; 
and  this  must  have  been  known  to  the  Jewish  rulers. 
Also  the  doctrines  of  Jesus  Christ  taught  th.3t  they 
should  forgive  and  pray  for  their  enemies,  and  learn  war 
no  more.  "  Peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to  men,"  was 
sung  by  the  heavenly  band  when  they  announced  the 
birth  of  the  Savior  in  the  city  of  David. 

2.  The  star  that  appeared  and  guided  the  wise  men  to 
the  place  of  his  nativity,  prophesied  of  by  Balaam,  Num. 
xxiv.  17.     "  There  shall  come  a  star  out  of  Jacob,"  &c. 

3.  A  root  out  of  Jesse.  Isa.  xi.  10,  "  In  that  day  there 
shall  be  a  root  out  of  Jesse,  which  shall  stand  for  an  en- 
sign of  the  people ;  to  it  shall  the  Gentiles  seek,"  &c. 
That  he  was  a  descendant  of  David  was  well  known  to 
the  Jews,  for  they  were  very  scrupulous  in  their  geneal- 
ogies, and  from  the  fact  that  he  was  born  in  the  city  of 
David  when  his  parents  went  up  to  be  taxed  where  their 
names  were  enrolled. 

4.  Born  of  a  virgin.  Isa.  vii.  14,  "  Therefore  the  Lord 
himself  shall  give  you  a  sign.  Behold,  a  virgin  shall  con- 
ceive and  bear  a  son,  and  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel." 
This  was  evidently  fulfilled. 

5.  At  Bethlehem.  Micah  v.  2,  "  But  thou,  Bethlehem 
Ephratah,  though  thou  be  little  among  the  thousands  of 
Judah,  yet  out  of  thee  shall  he  come  forth  unto  me  that 
is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel,  whose  goings  forth  have  been  from 
of  old,  from  everlasting."  This  was  fulfilled,  according 
to  their  own  showing,  to  the  wise  men  from  the  east 

6.  Herod  slaymg  all  the  children  in  Bethlehem,  from 
two  years  old  and  under,  prophesied  of  by  Jeremiah, 
xxxi.  15,  "  A  voice  was  heard  in  Ramah,  lamentation 


286  LECTURE    XIX. 

and  bitter  weeping,  Rachael  weeping  for  her  children," 
&c.     This  must  have  been  known  in  all  Judea. 

7.  Land  forsaken  of  both  of  her  kings.  Isa.  vii.  16, 
"  For  before  the  child  shall  know  to  refuse  the  evil  and 
choose  the  good,  the  land  that  thou  abhorrest  shall  be  for- 
saken of  both  her  kings."  Herod  and  his  successor  both 
died  before  Jesus  was  of  the  common  age  to  refuse  the 
evil  and  choose  the  good. 

8.  Called  out  of  Egypt.  Hosea  xi.  1,  "  And  called  my 
son  out  of  Egypt." 

9.  His  forerunner  John.  Isa.  xl.  3,  "  The  voice  of  him 
that  crieth  in  the  wilderness,  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  make  straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God." 
All  Judea  and  Jerusalem  went  into  the  wilderness  to 
John,  and  of  course  must  have  seen  this  sign. 

10.  Coming  suddenly  to  his  temple.  Mai.  iii.  1,  "  And 
the  Lord  whom  ye  seek  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  tem- 
ple." For  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy,  read  John  vii. 
11 — 14,  "Then  the  Jews  sought  him  at  the  feast,  and 
said,  Where  is  he  ?  Now  about  the  midst  of  the  feast, 
Jesus  went  up  into  the  temple  and  taught." 

11.  The  gospel  preached.  Isa.  lxi.  1,  "The  spirit 
of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me ;  because  the  Lord  hath 
anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek ;  he 
hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to  proclaim 
liberty  to  the  captive,  and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to 
them  that  are  bound." 

12.  The  covenant  confirmed  one  week  or  seven  years, 
Daniel  ix.  27,  "And  he  shall  confirm  the  covenant  with 
many  for  one  week."  J  ohn  preached  three  years  and  a 
half,  and  Christ  three  and  a  half. 

13.  The  blind  see.  Isa.  xlii.  7,  "  To  open  the  blind 
eyes,  to  bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the  prison,  and  them 
that  sit  in  darkness  out  of  the  prison-house." 

14.  The  lame  walk.  Isaiah,  xxxv.  6,  "  Then  shall  the 
lame  man  leap  as  a  hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb 
sing." 

15.  The  deaf  hear.  Isaiah  xxxv.  5,  "  Then  the  eyes 
of  the  blind  shall  be  opened,  and  the  ears  of  the  deaf 
shall  be  unstopped." 

16.  The  dead  are  raised.  Isaiah  xxvi.  19,  "And  the 
earth  shall  cast  out  the  dead." 


Christ's  second  coming.  287 

17.  His  humility  when  on  trial.  Isaiah  liii.  7,  "  He 
was  oppressed,  and  he  was  afflicted ;  yet  he  opened  not 
his  mouth.  He  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter, 
and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  opened 
not  his  mouth." 

18.  The  manner  and  circumstances  of  his  death. 
Psalm  xxii.  13 — 18,  "They  gaped  upon  me  with  their 
mouths  as  a  ravening  and  a  roaring  lion.  I  am  poured 
out  as  water  and  all  my  bones  are  out  of  joint:  my  heart 
is  like  wax ;  it  is  melted  in  the  midst  of  my  bowels.  My 
strength  is  dried  up  like  a  potsherd,  and  my  tongue  cleav- 
eth  to  my  jaws,  and  thou  hast  brought  me  into  the  dust 
of  death.  For  dogs  have  compassed  me  ;  the  assembly 
of  the  wicked  have  enclosed  me  :  they  pierced  my  hands 
and  my  feet ;  I  may  tell  all  my  bones  ;  they  look  and  stare 
upon  me.  They  part  my  garments  among  them,  and  cast 
lots  upon  my  vesture."  This  Psalm  was  indited  more 
than  ]0C0  years  before  Christ's  crucifixion,  and  yet  every 
word  had  an  exact  and  literal  accomplishment  in  that 
transaction,  and  the  Jews  saw  it. 

19.  His  resurrection.  Psalm  xvi.  10,  "  For  thou  wilt 
not  leave  my  soul  in  hell ;  neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thine 
Holy  One  to  see  corruption." 

20.  The  pouring  out  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  day  of 
pentecost.  Joel  ii.  28,  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  after- 
ward that  1  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  all  flesh ;  and 
your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy;  your  old 
men  shall  dream  dreams,  your  young  men  shall  see  vis- 
ions." The  apostle  told  them  that  this  scripture  was 
fulfilled  at  the  day  of  pentecost,  and  this  transaction  was 
well  known  to  the  Jews. 

21.  The  fulfilment  of  the  seventy  weeks  spoken  of  by 
Daniel,  ix.  24 — 27,  which  I  have  shown  in  a  former  lec- 
ture, was  accomplished  to  a  day.  And  the  Jews  well 
understood  it ;  for  Caiaphas,  being  high  priest  that  year, 
said  to  the  Jews,  "  Ye  know  nothing  at  all,  nor  consider 
that  it  is  expedient  for  us  that  one  man  should  die  for  the 
people,  and  that  the  whole  nation  perish  not.  And  this 
spake  he  not  of  himself,  but  being  high  priest  that  year 
he  prophesied  (or  taught  the  prophecy  in  Daniel)  that 
Jesus  should  die  for  that  nation,  and  not  for  that  nation 


288  LECTURE    XIX. 

only,  but  that  also  he  should  gather  tog-ether  in  one  the 
children  of  God  that  were  scattered  abroad."  John  xi. 
49—52. 

This  evidence  was  well  understood  among  the  rulers 
of  the  Jews ;  yet  notwithstanding  all  this  scripture  was 
fulfilled  before  their  faces,  and  all  these  signs  were  ac- 
tually accomplished  in  the  short  space  of  thirty-five  years, 
and  a  cloud  of  witnesses  testifying  to  all  these  facts,  and 
they  themselves  had  to  consent  that  notable  miracles  had 
been  done,  they  believed  not.  Well  may  you  say,  dear 
hearer,  that  they  deserved  wrath,  and  God  was  just  in 
destroying  their  nation  and  place.  But  how  is  it  with 
us  ?  Do  Ave  believe  in  that  word  which  we  blame  them 
for  rejecting?  Are  we  clear  of  the  sin  of  unbelief  ?  The 
Jews  were  looking  for  a  temporal  king  and  kingdom. 
And  are  not  we  looking  for  a  temporal  millennium  —  one 
in  which  the  Christians  will  have  the  rule  of  the  world  ? 
Let  us  see  to  it  that  we  do  not  stumble  at  the  same  stum- 
bling-stone ;  possibly  we  may  have  carnal  notions  as 
well  as  they.     Therefore,  let  us  inquire, 

II.  What  signs  are  now  fulfilling,  which  are  given  us 
by  Christ,  the  prophets,  or  apostles,  of  his  second  coming 
and  glorious  reign  ?     And, 

1.  Christ  tells  us,  Matt.  xxiv.  14,  "This  gospel  of  the 
kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all  the  world  as  a  witness, 
and  then  shall  the  end  come."  Is  not  this  sign  already 
accomplished  ?  Bible  translated  into  more  than  200  dif- 
ferent languages ;  missionaries  sent  among  all  the  na- 
tions known  to  us  on  the  globe,  and  reformation  succeed- 
ing reformation  in  every  town,  nook  or  corner  in  this 
land.  The  gospel  has  now  spread  over  the  four  quar- 
ters of  the  globe.  It  began  in  Asia.  In  the  apostles* 
days,  that  quarter  was  full  of  light.  From  thence  it 
went  into  Africa ;  and,  for  a  number  of  centuries,  Africa 
stretched  out  her  hands  unto  God,  Europe,  too,  has  had 
a  long  visitation  of  gospel  blessings ;  and  now  America, 
the  last  quarter  of  the  globe,  is  reaping  a  harvest  of 
souls  for  the  last  day.  The  gospel,  like  the  sun,  arose 
in  the  east,  and  will  set  in  the  west. 

2.  The  pouring  out  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  last  reign 
of  grace.    Daniel  tells  us,  after  Bonaparte  should  come 


to  his  end,  and  none  should  help  him,  xii.  1,  "  And  at 
that  time  shall  Michael  stand  up,  the  great  prince  which 
standeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people."  This  1  have 
shown,  in  a  former  lecture,  is  the  same  angel  that  stood 
upon  the  waters  of  the  river,  clothed  in  linen,  Daniel  xii. 
6 ;  also  the  same  angel  that  John  saw,  Rev.  x.  1 — 6, 
standing,  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  upon 
the  earth,  and  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open.  This  angel 
told  John  that  he  must  "  prophesy  again  before  many 
people,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings ; "  meaning 
that  the  gospel  must  again  be  published,  as  it  had  been 
in  the  apostolic  days.  And  then  would  this  angel  lift 
his  hand  to  heaven,  and  swear  by  him  that  liveth  for- 
ever and  ever,  that  time  should  be  no  longer.  Again, 
James  says,  v.  7,  8,  "  Be  patient,  therefore,  brethren,  un- 
to the  coming  of  the  Lord.  Behold,  the  husbandman 
waiteth  for  the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth,  and  hath  long 
patience  for  it,  until  he  receive  the  early  and  latter  rain. 
Be  ye  also  patient ;  establish  your  hearts,  for  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  draweth  nigh."  And  now,  can  any  man, 
who  has  any  knowledge  of  the  present  times,  deny  that 
God  has  poured  out  his  spirit,  in  a  remarkable  manner, 
for  twenty  years  past  ?  Has  not  the  gospel  been  spread 
in  as  rapid  and  extensive  a  manner,  as  in  the  apostolic 
day?  Has  not  opposition  and  persecution  of  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  of  the  woman  that  sitteth  on  many  waters, 
the  sea,  been  in  a  great  measure  kept  in  check  and  pow- 
erless, by  some  invisible  power,  some  mighty  arm,  until 
the  servants  of  God  should  be  sealed,  the  latter  rain  of 
grace  descend,  and  God's  purposes  completed  concern- 
ing this  latter  day  ?  Here,  then,  we  have  a  clear  and 
visible  sign,  that  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth  nigh. 

3.  "  Many  running  to  and  fro."  This  is  another  im- 
portant and  evident  sign  of  the  end.  Daniel  xii.  4,  "  But 
thou,  O  Daniel,  shut  up  the  words  and  seal  the  book, 
even  to  the  time  of  the  end.  Many  shall  run  to  and  fro." 
Whether  the  prophet  means  to  be  understood,  "  many 
shall  run  to  and  fro  "  in  a  religious  sense,  or  in  a  civil  or 
temporal  sense,  or  whether  he  means  in  both,  is  perfect- 
ly immaterial  for  my  purpose.  All  must  acknowledge, 
that  this  text  is  remarkably  fulfilled  in  this  day,  in  either 
25 


290  LECTURE   XIX. 

point  of  view.  If  it  means  missionaries  of  the  cross,  no 
man  can  dispute  the  fulfilment  See  the  heralds  of  sal- 
vation crossing  and  re-crossing  on  every  part  of  the  hab- 
itable globe.  If  it  means  common  travellers,  or  the 
rapid  means  of  travel,  still  oar  text  holds  good,  and  the 
fulfilment  obvious.  No  man,  unless  he  is  wilfully  ig- 
norant, can  deny  that  this  sign  is  not  actually  and  liter- 
ally fulfilled. 

4.  The  great  increase  of  knowledge  given  in  the  same 
text  as  above.  "  Even  to  the  time  of  the  end  many  shall 
run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall  be  increased."  View 
this  in  any  point  you  please,  whether  theological  or  sci- 
entifical,  it  is  literally  true ;  in  this  day  of  invention  and 
improvement,  knowledge  increases.  What  of  the  fifty 
different  moral  societies,  which  have  become  general  in 
the  Christian  world  ?  Is  there  no  increase  of  knowledge 
in  our  Bible  societies,  Sabbath  schools,  tract  societies, 
temperance  societies,  and  a  catalogue  of  others  for  mor- 
al reform  ?  What  can  we  say  of  all  the  inventions  in 
the  arts  ?  What  of  all  the  improvements  in  science  ? 
In  all  this,  is  it  not  very  evident  that  this  sign  is  now  ful- 
filling to  the  very  letter  ? 

5.  The-  great  increase  of  riches,  and  desire  for  laying 
up  worldly  treasures,  as  described  by  James  v.  1 — 3,  "  Go 
to,  now,  ye  rich  men,  weep  and  howl  for  your  miseries 
that  shall  come  upon  you;  your  riches  are  corrupted, 
and  your  garments  are  moth-eaten  ;  your  gold  and  your 
silver  is  cankered,  and  the  rust  of  them  shall  be  a  wit- 
ness against  you,  and  shall  eat  your  flesh  as  it  were 
fire.  Ye  have  heaped  treasure  together  for  the  last 
days."  When,  since  the  writer  of  this  epistle  was  on 
our  earth,  has  there  been  such  an  increase  of  gold  and 
silver,  and  treasures  of  this  life,  as  at  this  day  ?  Our 
rich  men  are  laying  up  their  gold,  silver,  and  treasures 
in  abundance.  But,  as  though  this  individual  exertion 
for  riches  would  not  completely  fulfil  our  text,  they  have 
entered  into  all  manner  of  companies  and  monopolies, 
to  "heap  treasure  together."  When,  in  the  history  of 
the  world,  can  there  be  shown  so  many  banking  insti- 
tutions as  now  ?  When  so  much  insurance  capital  as  is 
heaped  together  at  this  day  ?     Are  not  our  rich  men  per- 


Christ's  second  coming.  291 

fectly  infatuated  with  stocks  of  all  kinds  ?  And  mo- 
nopoly is  the  order  of  the  day ;  to  grind  down  the  poor, 
and  heap  treasure  together  for  the  last  days.  Can  any 
man,  who  has  any  knowledge  of  these  things,  deny  that 
this  sign  of  the  last  days  is  not  evidently  accomplished  ? 
Go  to,  ye  rich  men,  weep  and  howl,  for  your  miseries  are 
come  upon  you. 

6.  The  unwillingness  of  men  to  hear  sound  doctrine, 
taught  us  hy  Paul,  2  Tim.  iv.  1 — 4,  "  I  charge  thee,  there- 
fore, before  God  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall 
judge  the  quick  and  the  dead  at  his  appearing  and  his 
kingdom.  For  the  time  will  come,  when  they  will  not 
endure  sound  doctrine ;  but  after  their  own  lusts  shall 
they  heap  to  themselves  teachers,  having  itching  ears ; 
and  they  shall  turn  away  their  ears  from  the  truth,  and 
shall  be  turned  unto  fables."  My  brethren,  need  I  say 
one  word  on  this  passage  ?  There  is  none  of  you  so 
blind,  but  you  see  that  this  passage  does  actually  de- 
scribe the  most  fashionable  preaching  at  the  present  day. 
How  many  thousand  do  run  after  that  kind  of  preaching 
which  is  only  relating  fables,  and  that  doctrine  which 
gives  all  power  to  man  ? 

7.  Scoffers,  saying,  "  Where  is  the  promise  of  his 
coming  ?  "  as  Peter  informs  us  in  his  2  Epistle,  iii.  3,  4, 
"  Knowing  this  first,  that  there  shall  come  in  the  last  days 
scoffers,  walking  after  their  own  lusts,  and  saying,  Where 
is  the  promise  of  his  coming?  For,  since  the  fathers 
fell  asleep,  all  things  continue  as  they  were  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  creation."  A  right  understanding  of  this 
text  would  show  us,  at  once,  that  many  of  us,  who  fancy 
we  are  in  the  highway  to  heaven,  are  belonging  to  this 
class  of  scoffers.  First,  they  walk  after  their  own  lusts  ; 
that  is,  after  their  own  carnal  notions  concerning  the 
coming  of  Christ.  They  say  all  things  will  continue  a3 
they  were  from  the  creation ;  they  must  have  a  temporal 
millennium ;  man  must  be  married  and  given  in  mar- 
riage ;  the  world  will  not  be  burnt,  and,  My  Lord  delay- 
eth  his  coming,  some  say  a  thousand  years,  and  some  say 
365,000  years,  and  all  the  moral  change  that  takes  place 
on  our  earth,  will  be  performed  by  the  agency  of  man. 
Therefore,  many  scoff  and  ridicule  the  idea,  that  Scrip- 


292  LECTURE    XIX. 

ture  tells  us  of  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  the  manner, 
object,  and  time.  And  many  are  willingly  ignorant; 
will  not  hear  or  read  on  this  subject. 

8.  "  Perilous  times,"  as  described  in  2  Tim.  iii.  1 — 7, 
"This  know,  also,  that,  in  the  last  days,  perilous  time? 
shall  come ;  for  men  shall  be  lovers  of  their  own  selves, 
covetous,  boasters,  proud,  blasphemers,  disobedient  to 
parents,  unthankful,  unholy,  without  natural  affection, 
truce-breakers,  false  accusers,  incontinent,  fierce,  despi3- 
ers  of  those  that  are  good,  traitors,  heady,  high-minded, 
lovers  of  pleasure  more  than  lovers  of  God,  having  the 
form  of  godliness,  but  denying  the  power  thereof;  from 
such  turn  away.  For  of  this  sort  are  they  which  creep 
into  houses,  and  lead  captive  silly  women  laden  with 
sins,  led  away  with  divers  lusts,  ever  learning,  and  never 
able  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth." 

What  better  description  of  domestic  and  public  soci- 
ety could  we  expect  from  the  most  close  observer  of 
private  characters,  domestic  circles,  and  public  societies 
of  our  times,  than  is  here  given  ?  One  would  conclude, 
had  he  found  this  in  any  other  book  but  the  Bible,  that 
it  was  a  modern  writer,  well  acquainted  with  the  human 
heart,  and  the  generations  now  on  the  earth. 

9.  "  Departing  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing 
spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils,  speaking  lies  in  hypocri- 
sy; having  their  conscience  seared  with  a  hot  iron; 
forbidding  to  marry,  and  commanding  to  abstain  from 
meats."  "Thus  Paul  tells  Timothy,  1  Epistle,  iv.  1 — 3, 
"  Now  the  Spirit  speaket.h  expressly,  that  in  the  latter 
times  some  shall  depart  from  the  faith,"  &c.  This,  we 
must  acknowledge,  has  been,  and  is  now  fulfilling.  The 
whole,  almost,  of  the  Christian  world  have  departed,  or 
changed  their  faith  within  fifteen  years  ;  seducing  spirits 
are  evidently  at  work  ;  hypocrites  are  multiplying  among 
us ;  Roman  Catholics,  Shakers,  Pilgrims,  Fanny  Wright, 
Owen,  and  others  forbid  to  marry.  Roman  Catholics, 
and  many  others  among  us,  are  teaching  to  abstain  from 
meats  and  drinks,  which  God  hath  created  to  be  received 
with  thanksgiving  of  them  which  believe  and  know  the 
truth. 

10.  False  teachers,  making  merchandise  of  the  gos- 


Christ's  second  coming.  293 

pel.  See  2  Peter  ii.  1 — 3,  "  But  there  were  false 
prophets,  also,  among  the  people ;  even  as  there  shall  be 
false  teachers  among  yon,  who  privily  shall  bring  in 
damnable  heresies,  even  denying  the  Lord  that  bought, 
them,  and  bring  upon  themselves  swift  destruction ;  and 
many  shall  follow  their  pernicious  ways,  by  reason  of 
whom  the  way  of  truth  shall  be  evil  spoken  of;  and  through 
covetousness  shall  they,  with  feigned  words,  make 
merchandise  of  you,  whose  judgment  of  a  long  time 
lingereth  not,  and  their  damnation  slumbereth  not." 
The  apostle  then  goes  on  to  show,  that,  as  it  was  in 
the  days  of  Noah  and  Lot,  so  it  would  be  in  the  days 
of  these  false  teachers  ;  one  generation  would  not  pass 
off  before  the  judgment  would  overtake  them,  who 
make  merchandise  of  the  gospel,  and  like  Balaam,  who 
loved  the  wages  of  unrighteousness. 

11.  Jude  gives  us  a  sign,  4  to  19  verses,  inclusive, 
"How  they  told  you  there  should  be  mockers  in  the 
last  time,  who  should  walk  after  their  own  ungodly 
lusts ;  these  be  they  who  separate  themselves,  sensual, 
having  not  the  Spirit."  Some  preachers  deny  the  agen- 
cy of  the  Spirit  in  regeneration. 

12.  Christ  gives  a  sign  in  Luke  xxi.  25 — 28,  "  And 
there  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in 
the  stars;  and,  upon  the  earth,  distress  of  nations,  with 
perplexity ;  the  sea  and  the  waves  roaring ;  men's  hearts 
failing  them  for  fear,  and  for  looking  for  those  things 
which  are  coming  on  the  earth ;  for  the  powers  of  the 
heavens  shall  be  shaken ;  and  then  shall  they  see  the 
Son  of  Man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  power  and  great 
glory.  And  when  these  things  begin  to  come  to  pass, 
then  look  up,  and  lift  up  your  heads,  for  your  redemption 
draweth  nigh. 

13.  Christ  gives  another  sign  in  Matt  xxiv.  23,  24, 
"  Then,  if  any  man  shall  say  unto  you,  Lo,  here  is 
Christ,  or  there,  believe  it  not;  for  there  shall  arise 
fake  Christs  and  false  prophets,  and  shall  show  great 
signs  and  wonders,  insomuch  that,  if  it  were  possible, 
they  shall  deceive  the  very  elect"  There  ca,n  be  po 
doubt  of  this  sign  being  fulfilled, 

25* 


294  LECTURE   xrx. 

14.  The  fulfilment  of  the  parable  of  the  ten  virgins 
—  the  midnight  cry  has  gone  forth  from  every  quarter 
of  God's  moral  vineyard,  "Behold,  the  bridegroom 
cometh."  The  world  has  been,  and  are  now, "  trimming 
their  lamps;"  witness  the  Bible  translated  into  all 
languages ;  the  Bible  societies  sending  Bibles  to  every 
nation  and  family  on  the  earth,  the  Sabbath  schools  and 
Bible  classes  studying  its  sacred  precepts. 

15.  The  scattering  of  the  holy  people  and  division 
of  sects,  as  prophesied  of  by  Daniel,  xii.  7,  "And  when 
he  shall  have  accomplished  to  scatter  the  power  of  the 
holy  people,  all  these  things  shall  be  finished."  This 
prophecy  is  now  fulfilling  in  a  remarkable  manner 
Not  one  sect,  who  profess  holiness,  but  are  divided  and 
subdivided  into  contending  schisms,  and  that,  too,  with 
in  twenty  years. 

16.  The  division  of  the  political  world,  as  prophesied 
of  by  John,  Rev.  xvi.  12 — 16,  "And  I  saw  three  unclean 
spirits,  like  frogs,  come  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon, 
and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  false  prophet,  for  they  are  the  spirits  of  devils, 
working  miracles,  which  go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the 
earth  and  of  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to  the 
battle  of  the  great  day  of  God  Almighty" — and  19th 
verse,  "And  the  great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts, 
and  the  cities  of  the  nations  fell."  That  these  spirits 
are  political,  is  evident,  from  the  fact  that  they  come 
out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  (kings,)  and  beast, 
(Catholic,)  false  prophet,  (Mahometan,)  and  unclean, 
signifying  they  are  not  holy  things.  This  prophecy 
is  now  accomplishing.  What  nation,  within  our  knowl- 
edge, is  not  already  divided  into  three  political  parties  ? 
None,  which  is  in  any  way  known  to  your  speaker. 

17.  The  church  has  fulfilled  her  1260  years  in  the 
wilderness,  spoken  of  in  Rev.  xii.  6,  14,  "  And  the 
woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  hath  a  place 
prepared  of  God,  that  they  should  feed  her  there  a 
thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days."  These 
days  were  evidently  accomplished  in  1798,  since  which 
time  the  Protestant  church  has  enjoyed  privileges  even 


Christ's  second  coming.  295 

in  the  city  of  nations,  the  Roman  empire ;  and,  according 
to  Daniel,  forty-five  years  will  complete  the  whole  plan 
of  redemption. 

18.  The  two  witnesses  prove  that  the  1260  years  are 
ended ;  for  it  is  evident  that  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment are  not  now  hid  nor  kept  from  the  common  people, 
but  have  arisen  from  their  dead  state,  and  are  now  per- 
forming the  office  God  designed  they  should,  conveying 
light  to  the  world.  They  are  not  clothed  in  sackcloth, 
but,  through  the  missionaries  of  the  cross,  and  Bible 
societies,  are  testifying  to  the  world  of  Christ  and  his 
second  coming. 

19.  The  civil  power  of  anti-Christ  is  destroyed,  and 
the  1260  years,  in  which  she  was  to  rule  over  kings,  and 
tread  the  church  under  foot,  was  completed  in  1798, 
when  the  French  army  took  the  Pope  a  prisoner,  and 
erected  Italy  into  a  republic  ;  since  which  time  the  Pope 
has  exercised  but  little  or  no  power  over  kings,  or  the 
Protestant  church,  and  she  is  evidently  sinking  by  the 
weight  of  her  own  corruptions. 

20.  It  is  very  evident  that  the  sixth  trumpet  has 
sounded,  and  the  391  years  will  be  completed  in  1839, 
when  the  seventh  trumpet  will  begin  to  sound,  and  the 
mystery  of  God  will  be  finished,  all  that  he  hath  de- 
clared to  his  servants  the  prophets.  If  the  fall  of  the 
Eastern  Empire  at  Constantinople  was  included  in  the 
sixth  trumpet,  which  all  the  principal  commentators, 
whom  I  have  consulted,  agree  in,  and  that  trumpet  was 
prepared  to  sound  an  hour,  a  day,  a  month,  and  a  year, 
which  makes,  according  to  the  reckoning  of  time  in 
John's  prophecy,  391  years  and  15  days,  then  the  sixth 
trumpet  is  almost  finished.  The  whole  appearance 
strengthens  this  exposition  of  the  text;  for  the  power 
of  the  Turks  has  diminished  more  rapidly  within  fifteen 
years,  than  any  politician,  however  anxious  he  could 
have  been  for  the  event,  could  have  anticipated. 

21.  The  opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  revealed  in  the 
6th  and  7th  chapters  of  Revelation,  was  opened  in  the 
French  revolution,  and  carries  us  through  a  sealing  time 
unto  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal,  which  ushers  us 
before  the  judgment  seat  of  God.    No  one  can  deny 


296  LECTURE    XIX. 

but  that,  since  the  revolution  in  France,  a  sealing  tim<a 
has  passed;  many  have  been  born  into  the  spiritual 
kingdom  of  Christ,  more  than  has  ever  been  known,  in 
the  same  period  of  time,  since  the  apostles'  days.  This 
seal,  then,  is  evidently  opened,  and  is  a  strong  evidence 
that  the  book  of  life  will  soon  be  opened,  and  the  dead 
will  be  judged  out  of  the  things  written  in  the  books. 

22.  The  sixth  vial  was  poured  out  about  the  year 
1822,  when  the  Ottoman  power  began  to  be  dried  up. 
This  is  an  important  sign  that  we  are  on  the  brink  of 
the  judgment  day.  Rev.  xvi.  12,  "And  the  sixth  angel 
poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  great  river  Euphrates ;  and 
the  waters  thereof  were  dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the 
kings  of  the  east  might  be  prepared,"  This  preparation 
is  for  the  last  great  battle,  which  will  take  place  at  the 
pouring  out  of  the  seventh  vial,  in  the  year  1839  or  40, 
At  the  pouring  out  of  the  seventh  vial,,  a  voice  from  the 
throne  will  pronounce  the  word,  It  is  done.  The  king- 
doms of  the  earth  and  governments  of  the  world  will 
be  carried  away,  and  their  places  not  found.  Every 
writer,  of  any  note,  will  and  have  applied  this  vial  to 
the  Turkish  government,  and  of  course  must  acknowl- 
edge that  this  vial  is  poured  out,  for  the  power  of  the 
Turkish  government  is  but  little  more  than  a  name,  and 
the  strength  of  the  Ottoman  power  dried  up. 

23.  Another  evidence  is  Daniel's  resurrection  at  the 
end  of  the  1335  days.  This  evidence  is  very  plain  and 
evident,  for  Daniel  says,  xii.  11 — 13,  "And  from  the 
time  that  the  daily  sacrifice  shall  be  taken  away,  and  the 
abomination  that  maketh  desolate  set  up,  there  shall  be 
a  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety  days."  This  cannot 
be  the  Jewish  sacrifice  ;  for  if  so,  then  it  must  have  been 
fulfilled  about  five  hundred  years  past ;  and  as  no  event 
took  place  then  which  would  warrant  us  in  so  under- 
standing it,  I  can  see  no  rational  objection  to  understand 
this  daily  sacrifice  to  mean  Pagan  rites  and  sacrifices, 
which  was  the  original  beast  of  which  the  abomination 
of  desolation  was  only  an  image,  and,  as  I  have  shown 
in  a  former  lecture,  was  to  continue  six  hundred  and 
sixty-six  years  ;  and  as  Paul  tells  us,  that  when  he  was 
taken  out  of  the  way,  the  man  of  sin  would  be  revealed, 


Christ's  second  coming.  297 

agreeing  in  language  with  Daniel.  I  think  the  proof 
is  strong  that  from  the  taking  away  of  Pagan  worship, 
A.  D.  508,  to  the  end  of  the  Papal  civil  power,  would  be 
1290  years,  which  would  end  in  the  year  1798,  and  thus 
agree  with  all  of  John's  numbers  in  Revelation.  And 
then  Daniel  says,  or  the  angel  to  Daniel,  "  Blessed  is  he 
that  waiteth  and  cometh  to  the  thousand  three  hundred 
and  five  and  thirty  days."  Thus  add  1335  to  508,  will 
bring  us  down  to  the  year  A.  D.  1843.  "  But  go  thou 
thy  way  till  the  end  be,  for  thou  shalt  rest  and  stand  in 
thy  lot  at  the  end  of  the  days."  And  "  Blessed  and  holy 
is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection."  Then 
Daniel  will  stand  in  his  lot,  and  Job  will  stand  on  the 
earth  in  the  latter  day. 

24.  Daniel's  vision  of  2300  days  long.  I  have  in 
some  former  lectures  shown  clearly  that  Daniel's  vision 
concerning  the  four  great  monarchies  which  were  or 
were  to  come,  included  the  whole  history  of  the  world, 
so  far  as  God  saw  fit  to  reveal  it,  down  to  the  judgment 
day,  and  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  the  clouds.  I 
then  showed  that  the  question  was  asked,  how  long 
should  be  this  vision.  The  answer  was  given — 2300 
days.  I  then  proved  that  days  were  to  be  counted  years, 
by  the  command  of  God,  by  the  example  of  Jacob,  and 
by  the  fulfilment  of  a  part  of  the  vision.  I  then  showed 
you  when  this  vision  began  by  the  angel  Gabriel's  own 
declaration  vno  was  commanded  to  instruct  Daniel  into 
tb*1  Vision.  According  to  this  instruction  I  showed  you 
that  490  years  were  accomplished  of  this  vision,  to  a  day, 
at  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  both  events  happening  on  the 
12th  day  of  the  first  month,  490  years  apart.  And  then 
I  inquired,  that  if  490  years  of  2300  was  fulfilled  when 
our  Savior  was  crucified,  how  much  of  the  vision  re- 
mained after  his  death.  1  answered,  1810  years.  1 
then  inquired,  what  year  after  his  birth  that  would  be ; 
and  the  answer  Avas,  in  the  year  1843.  1  then  begged 
the  privilege,  and  do  now,  for  any  person  to  show  me 
any  failure  of  proof  on  this  point,  or  where,  possibly,  ac- 
cording to  Scripture,  there  may  be  a  failure  in  the  cal- 
culation I  have  made  on  this  vision.  1  have  not  yet,  by 
seventeen  years  study,  been  able  to  discover  where  I 
might  fail. 


298  LECTURE    XIX. 

Lastly.  Another  sign  of  the  last  day  you  will  find 
given  by  Paul,  1  Thess.  v.  2,  3,  "  For  yourselves  know 
perfectly,  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  so  cometh  as  a  thief 
in  the  night  For  when  they  shall  say,  Peace  and 
safety,  then  sudden  destruction  cometh  upon  them,  as 
travail  upon  a  woman  with  child;  and  they  shall  not 
escape."     Compare  2  Pet.  ii.  17 — 22. 

The  doctrine  of  peace  and  safety,  and  that  there  is 
no  punishment  in  the  future  state,  had  but  few  or  no 
advocates  until  very  recently.  I  am  not  certain  but 
the  first  preacher  of  this  soul-destroying  doctrine  is  now 
living ;  and  they  now  boast  of  their  multitudes  of  fol- 
lowers and  advocates.  There  have  been,  in  past  ages,  a 
few  who  preached  the  doctrine  of  the  restoration  of  all 
men,  after  a  suitable  punishment  in  hell ;  but  to  modem 
Universalists  belongs  the  invention  of  preaching  "peace 
and  safety  when  sudden  destruction  cometh."  If  this 
sign  is  not  fulfilled  in  the  preachers  of  this  order  at  this 
time,  1  ask,  How  can  it  be  fulfilled  ?  and  what  must  the 
doctrine  of  those  be  who  preach  "  peace  and  safety  "  ? 
Surely,  no  human  being  can  invent  a  doctrine  so  full  of 
(promised)  "  peace  and  safety "  to  the  wicked  as  this ; 
and  no  other  denomination  on  our  globe  ever  have  op- 
posed the  doctrine  of  the  coming  of  Christ,  the  judg- 
ment day,  and  future  punishments,  but  the  modern  Uni- 
versalists ;  and  if  this  is  the  doctrine  that  Paul  had 
reference  to  in  our  text,  as,  I  am  fully  satisfied,  every 
candid  and  religious  mind  must  and  will  allow,  then 
we  may  reasonably  suppose  "  sudden  destruction  cometh 
upon  them,  and  they  shall  not  escape." 

Therefore,  my  dear  reader,  I  shall  now,  with  a  few 
closing  remarks,  leave  you  to  your  own  reflections. 

The  Jews  had  twenty-one  signs  in  the  Scriptures  given 
them  of  the  first  coming  and  person  of  Jesus  Christ. ;  yet 
many  rejected  him  as  an  impostor.  You  say,  if  you  had 
lived  in  that  day,  you  would  have  believed ;  and  you  in 
your  hearts  condemn  them  as  a  hardened  race  of  unbe- 
lievers ;  and  notwithstanding  their  great  pretence  to  piety, 
you  say  they  were  justly  denounced  by  our  Savior  as  a 
generation  of  vipers  and  a  band  of  hypocrites.  But,  my 
hearers,  be  careful  your  own  hearts  do  not  condemn  you 


CHRIST'S    SECOND    COMING.  299 

for  your  unbelief  in  the  signs  which  the  prophets,  Christ, 
and  the  apostles  have  given  you  as  tokens  of  his  second 
coming  and  the  judgment  day.  I  have  brought  from  the 
word  of  God  twenty-five  signs  of  his  second  coming,  end 
of  the  world,  and  judgment  day,  and  all  apparently  fulfil- 
led within  the  age  of  many  present,  or  fulfilling  now  be- 
fore your  eyes.  And  do  you  believe  ?  Many  of  you 
profess  to  be  pious  ;  many  of  you  say,  Lord,  Lord  !  But 
do  you  believe  his  word  ?  Are  you  willing  to  risk  your 
life,  your  character,  your  all,  on  his  word  ?  or  are  you 
fearful  and  unbelieving  ?  Now  is  the  time  to  try  men's 
souls.  Now,  if  you  wish  to  be  sure,  examine  closely,  and 
see  whether  your  faith  will  stand  in  the  day  of  trial  which 
is  coming  ;  yes,  has  already  come,  in  a  thousand  ways,  to 
draw  you  from  the  gospel  of  Christ  to  another  new  gos- 
pel, which  is  not  the  gospel  of  God.  "  Can  ye  not  dis- 
cern the  signs  of  the  times  ?  "  Let  me  give  you  one  rule 
by  which  you  may  know  a  false  doctrine.  They  may 
have  many  good  things  in  their  creeds,  they  may  be  very 
plausible  in  their  arguments,  and  after  all  deceive  you. 
But  examine  them  closely,  and  you  will  find  they  will 
deny,  ridicule,  or  try  to  do  away  some  prominent  doctrine 
of  the  Bible,  such  as  the  divinity  of  Christ,  his  second 
coming,  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  eternal  punishment, 
doctrine  of  grace,  election,  conviction  for  sin,  regene- 
ration, repentance,  or  faith.  And  when  you  hear  or  see 
them  make  light  or  scoff  at  any  thing  of  this  kind  in  the 
word  of  God,  go  not  after  them,  nor  bid  them  God  speed. 
"  Can  ye  not  discern  the  signs  of  the  times  ?  " 

And  to  you,  impenitent  friend,  God  has  at  all  times 
given  you  warning  of  his  approaching  judgments.  If 
you  repent,  believe  his  word,  and  break  off  your  sins  by 
righteousness,  he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  you  your 
sins.  Why  not  take  warning  by  the  past  ?  Is  there  no 
example  for  you  ?  Look  at  the  antediluvian  world, 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Nineveh,  Babylon,  Jerusalem,  and 
the  once  enlightened  Asia,  now  worse  than  in  heathen- 
ish darkness.  Will  God  punish  nations,  and  not  indi- 
viduals ?  This  cannot  be,  for  nations  are  composed  of 
individuals ;  and  God  is  just,  for  he  hath  appointed  a 
day  in  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness. 


300  LECTURE    XIX. 

'■  Can  ye  not  discern  the  signs  of  the  times  ?  "  Will 
God's  word  fail  of  being  accomplished  ?  Can  you  show 
q,  single  instance  ?  Why  not  listen,  then,  to  the  warn- 
ings and  admonitions,  to  the  calls  and  invitations,  to  the 
examples  and  precepts  contained  therein  ?  "  Can  ye  not 
discern  the  signs  of  the  times  ?  "  Will  God  cut  off  the 
unbelieving  Pharisee  for  not  discerning  the  signs  of 
the  times,  and  let  you,  with  twofold  more  light,  go  free  ? 
No :  how  can  ye  escape,  if  you  neglect  this  great  salva- 
tion ?  Watch,  then,  "  the  signs  of  the  times."  I  say, 
Watch. 


NOTE. 

The  author  wishes  to  state  that  Lecture  VIII.  in  this 
work  was  written  twelve  years  since ;  and  that  the  author- 
ities he  then  consulted  fixed  the  rise  of  the  Turkish  empire 
at  1298.  He  is  now  satisfied,  by  the  examination  of  other 
authorities  on  the  subject,  that  the  foundation  of  that  em- 
pire was  laid  in  1299.  Hence  the  things  mentioned'  in 
Lecture  VII.  (p.  109,)  relative  to  persecutions,  &c,  and  to 
the  coming  of  the  third  woe,  as  mentioned  in  Lecture  XIII. 
(p.  202,)  which  he  supposed  would  take  place  in  1839,  ac- 
cording to  the  first  computation^  will  not  be  realized  until 
the  year  1840. 


SUPPLEMENT 


EXPOSITION   OF   MILLER'S   CHART 

OF     THE 

CHRONOLOGY   OF   THE    WORLD,   AND   OF 
THE  PROPHETIC  PERIODS. 

f3r  See  Chart,  at  the  end  of  the  book. 


I.  The  scale  of  the  Chart  repre- 
sents 6000  years  from  the  creation. 

II.  The  first  space  on  the  Chart 
represents  the  six  millenniums,  be- 
fore the  "  Great  Sabbath  of  rest.'''' 
See  "  Miller's  Views,"  page  157, 
Lecture  on  the  Great  Sabbath, 
where  this  subject  is  fully  ex- 
plained. 

DC?"  This  space  is  also  divided  into 
different  parts,  showing  the  chronol- 
ogy of  the  most  important  events  in 
the  history  of  the  world  and  the 
church.* 

1.  The  flood,  in  the  600th  year  of 
Noah's  age. 

2.  From  the  flood  to  the  Exode, 
428  years. 


Period 

B.C. 

A.  D. 

6000 

4157 

1843 

Bmi 

d    . 

O 

o   t» 

-3 

Eg 
CD 
f-i 

U3 

o  « 

a> 

P  I 

A 

£   «3 

B 

o 

pq  "5 

Peri- 

A.M. 

B.  C. 

ods. 

1656 

1656 

2501 

423 

2084 

2073 

*  The  critical  student  will  readily  observe  the  different 
periods  in  this  Exposition,  marked  on  the  twelve  Spaces  of 
the  Chart,  so  that  we  have  no  need  to  make  distinct  reference 
to  them  in  every  period  described. 


2 


SUPPLEMENT. 


3.  The  Israelites  enter  Canaan — 
470  years  from  the  Exode. 

4.  Administration  of  Joshua,  and 
the  Judges  began,  A.  M.  2554,  and 
continued  473  years — ending 

5.  Beginning  of  the  Temple  by 
Solomon,  being  a  period  of  108 
years  from  Samuel  the  prophet,  or 
the  end  of  the  Judges. 

6.  The  beginning  of  the  four 
Monarchies  represented  in  Nebu- 
chadnezzar's dream,  Dan.  ii.  31 — 
35,  vii.  2 — 14.  At  this  period,  the 
people  of  God  became  permanently 
subject  to  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world,  as  a  punishment  for  their 
rebellion  against  God.  The  Ten 
Tribes  were  carried  into  captivity 
by  Esarhaddon,  king  of  Assyria, 
and  were  broken,  scattered,  and 
ceased  to  be  a  nation ;  Manasseh, 
king  of  Judah,  was  carried  to  Baby- 
lon in  fetters  of  iron :  making  a 
period  of  345  years  from  the  foun- 
dation of  the  Temple. 

7.  The   seventy  years'   captivity 
began  under  Jehoichim,  in  the  third 
year   of  his    reign,    by   Nebuchad 
nezzar,  king  of  Babylon.     This  in 
eluded  a  period  of  70  years.     Here 
the  Jubilees  of  the  Jewish  institu 
tion  ceased.     From  the  time  of  the 
keeping  of  the  last  Jubilee  by  the 
Jewish  nation  to  1843,  is  just  49  Ju- 
bilees, or  2450  years ;  which  brings 
us  to  the  Grand  Jubilee  of  Jubilees. 

8.  Seventy  weeks  of  Dan.  ix.  24 — 
27,  begin.  The  time  of  the  going 
forth  of  the  decree  of  Artaxerxes  (in 
the  seventh  year  of  his  reign)  to  Ezra, 


Period 
470 


473 


108 


345 


70 


A.  M. 

2554 


3027 


3135 


3480 


3350 


B.C. 
1603 


1130 


1022 


677 


607 


SUPPLEMENT. 


to  restore  the  law  and  the  captives 
under  the  administration  of  Ezra 
and  JNehemiah,  the  walls  and  streets 
were  built  in  troublous  times.  At 
this  date  the  vision  of  the  Ram  push 
ing — Persia  against  Grecia — com' 
mences ; — it  being  a  period  of  150 
years  from  the  great  captivity. 

9.  Beginning  of  the  Roman  gov- 
ernment, or  the  period  of  its  con 
nexion  with  the  people  of  God,  by 
the  league  formed.  A  period  of 
299  years,  during  the  governments 
of  Persia  and  Grecia. 

10.  The  birth  of  Christ,  a  period 
of  158  years  from  the  league  with 
the  Romans. 

1 1 .  The  crucifixion — Death  of  the 
Messiah — a  period  of  33  years  from 
his  birth. 

12.  The  end  of  Pagan  Rome. 
The  ten  kings  converted  to  the 
christian  faith,  and  become  of  "  one 
mind."  Here  the  daily  sacrifice,  or 
Pagan  Rome,  was  taken  away. — 
Daniel's  1290  days,  the  1335  days, 
both  begin  at  this  period.  The 
1335  days  carry  us  down  to  the 
time  when  Daniel  will  "  stand  in  his 
lot,"  in  the  "  first  resurrection." 
Dan.  xii.  11—13. 

13.  The  reign  of  the  ten  kings 
"  one  hour,"  or  30  years,  in  the  Ro- 
man empire.  Here  the  abomina- 
tion that  maketh  desolate,  or  Papal 
Rome,  was  set  up.  His  power  ori- 
ginated in  the  "  Code  of  Laws " 
established  by  Justinian,  the  empe- 
ror of  Rome,  called  the  dragon; 
who    "  gave   him   his  power,   and 


Period 

A.M. 

150 

3700 

299 

3999 

158 

4157 

33 

4190 

475 

4695 

30 

4735 

B.C. 


457 

15S 

A.  D. 

33 


508 
508 


seat,  and  great  authority;"  and 
gave  him  a  mouth  speaking  great 
things,  and  blasphemies ;  and  power 
was  given  him  to  make  war  42 
months,  or  1260  years.  (Rev.  xiii. 
2 — 5.)  The  ten  kings  at  this  period 
gave  up  their  power  and  strength  to 
the  Papal  beast.  (Rev.  xvii.  13 — 
17.)  The  blasphemous  power  of 
Papacy  begins  and  continues  42 
months,  or  1260  days,  meaning- 
years.  (Dan.  vii.  25,  Rev.  xiii.  5.) 
The  two  witnesses  clothed  in  sack- 
cloth prophesying  1260  years.  (Rev. 
xi.  3.)  The  church  fled  into  the 
wilderness,  where  she  was  fed  1260 
years.  (Rev.  xii.  6 — 14.)  A  period 
of  761  years. 

14.  Beginning  of  the  Ottoman 
power,  under  the  Fifth  Trumpet. 
In  Rev.  ix.  5 — 10,  we  have  the  his- 
tory of  150  years  of  the  fifth  Trum- 
pet, in  which  the  four  angels  were 
bound  in  the  river  Euphrates  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years. 

15.  Sixth  Trumpet,  which  was 
to  sound  391  years  and  15  days. 
(Rev.  ix.  13—21.)  Here  the  four 
angels  were  loosed,  viz.,  the  Turks, 
Tartars,  Arabs  and  Saracens.  Me- 
hemet  II.  attacked  the  Greek  em- 
pire, and  in  the  year  1453  he  took 
Constantinople,  and  constituted  it 
the  capital  of  the  Ottoman  empire. 

16.  The  Seventh  Trumpet.  Here 
the  Ottoman  power,  or  the  great 
River  Euphrates,  was  dried  up.  (See 
Rev.  xvi.  12.)  And  the  seventh 
trumpet  begins  to  sound.  (Rev.  ix. 
15—19. 


Penou  .ol.  4., 


m 


150 


391 


5456 


1299 


5606 


1449 


5997 


6000 


1840 


1843 


CHRONOLOGICAL  CHART  OF  THE   WORLD. 


,  (Gibbon,  vol.  4,  p.  299,>-or  tho 


i     .      | 


i    s 


. 


1    i      1 


Jji-.us       '  |  Pagan  Home,! 


il:;  :"■>,. 


This  represents  Ihe  Sis  Thousand  V.:  .r,  l.rl.,r.  th,  ■  zi, .  n  S.L.I.mi,  (.f  r.e^t. 


i\ A.  M.  ;i)34_J A,  M.  2554     [ A,  M. 3027     |aM:,i;.! '    V.  3  ISO  A  |'    B  |   3700 

|J     wo    ann    30n    tm    500    noo    700    ^00    wo    10011  inn   1200   13011   1400   1500   leoo   1700  isoo  1900  Joo  2100  25)00  2300  2J00  2.500  Jot)  2700  2J00  2J00  3000  3100  3200  3300  3« 


:  UlVso 


l"i        A.M, 


:  ■    ■     ■■■-       ■    ■  ■ 


t3  r  r 

4SO0    4600    4700    4300    4900    5 .5 lull     321  -     ir.nil    ,-,n»i    :,; on     Wri"     ..Tun  .5-00      5900      600' 


Ill 


lit! 


